Unrest
by Pernshinigami
Summary: following an experiment by Szayel and Zephly, Ichigo has a one weekend stand with Grimmjow that turns his sexuality, life and world upside down. Starts Ichigrim, becomes Ichigrimren, then ichirenishibya, finally Byaichi, mPreg
1. Chapter 1

**_Notes _**I can't remember who's idea the drug was, but this fic is partially based on one that somebody never finished, where Szayel made a drug called Tasenik that could make men get pregnant and Aizen gave it to all the Espada. Grimmjow ended up screwing with Ichigo and getting him knockeded up. So whoever's idea I'm about to steal I apologize. XD

I also add that I'm putting this up so Sesshy's girl can get some inspiration. I likely won't work on this until Heartsbond is over or nearly over. So drool drool drool, and expect /another/ uke preggy Ichigo a few chapters down the line. XD not by grimmjow though. sadly.

* * *

_**Two months ago… **_

"You're kidding Aizen…-sama right?" Szyael had just woken up, having been wounded by Kurotsuchi, almost killed, and having just had Kurotsuchi's super senses drug scrubbed from his systems completely.

"No, I'm not. Gin wants to have children. I'd appreciate it Szayel if you… er… take advantage of your inactive and weakened… state… after that last battle, to research some of your own special brand of magic."

"I will begin with a fresh mind Aizen-sama. Tell me, how should I test it?"

"Oh let me worry about testing." Aizen said with a smirk as he left the infirmary.

"Gin, Tousen!' He called to the other shinigami. "We need to replenish our ranks. The… program… I have just asked Szayel to initiate will ensure that our ranks expand and grow. Tell me, how is Nnoitra doing? I understand Tesla survived."

"Nnoitra survived by the skin of his teeth." Tousen said calmly. "That man has a death wish."

"I see. All in all?"

"The exequias have been wiped out. Our seventh position and ninth position remain open."

"I see. There's one arrancar. Tousen I'm going to send you and Halibel out to find him."

"Who is he?"

"A man held in as much revered regard as the Espada. They call him Zephly Ascepilas. When I first arrived in Hueco Mundo he refused the position of Espada. See if you can lure him to change his mind."

"What's so special about this Zephly?" Tousen asked.

"Zephly… is the only healer Arrancar alive. He and his followers form a small enclave out in the desert. They worship the Greco-roman Olympians and tend to hide away from the other arrancar. Zephly is older than I, Older even than Commander General Yamamoto. Do not alienate him Tousen." Tousen was walking through the corridor behind Aizen. "Offer him the carrot he cannot refuse."

"Yes Aizen-sama."

Over the next few weeks, Szayel worked on some method of allowing a male to give birth, either arrancar or shinigami. He had an inkling that Aizen intended to use this for something other than Gin. So he tried to make this drug of his to affect as many species as possible.

He was sitting in bed working on a white board when the man entered the infirmary. He was an arrancar, with messy blue and green hair and mismatched blue and green eyes. On the right side of his face, his mask fragment had an astrological symbol on it, the sign of Apollo, the god of the sun. He carried a cane carved to resemble a winged serpent. He limped, one leg apparently twisted and burned.

"Hullo there." The arrancar greeted Szayel. "I'm assuming that you are Szayel Apollo Grantz?"

"Who wants to know?"

"Zephly Ascepilus, the new Novena Espada." The man replied. "My fraccion and I will be taking over the medical functions at Los Noches. Ergo, I thought I'd check out my new office. I see you're the kind who never stops thinking, even when his health is dependant on a machine removing a deadly poison from your liver and kidneys. May I see what you're working on?"

"Something for Aizen-sama." Szayel hesitantly offered Zephly his notebook. "I won't be up to fighting for a VERY long while. I have to be on this for at least an hour every day. It connects at the kidneys and liver and scrubs the super drug out of my body. For some reason my body can't expell it from either direction I'm afraid."

"aaaah, male on male pregnancy. Something out of my wet dreams." Zephly snickered.

"Really?"

"Yep. Let me help you."

"Thanks. Believe it or not I'm stuck."

"Stuck how?"

"well, I get the feeling that Aizen-sama is going to use this not just for his silver haired mate, but on arrancar and possibly other shinigami."

"I seeeeee…"

"My problem is figuring out how to make it compatible with as many types of targets as possible." Szayel replied. "Not normal hollows. We don't need more of those. But arrancar, vaizard, shinigami and human would be a lovely start."

"Hmmm…… well I think the best approach is to look for anatomical similarities between the species." Zephly said calmly. "May I?" He asked for the board. "Lets see…." He began to draw a chart on the white board.

Szayel was pleased with Zephly's intelligence and quality of work. For a grizzled arrancar who looked battle worn, he was incredibly clever. "What happened to your leg?"

"Infection, tore the hell out of the thigh muscle. Caused a clot and then like an idiot I took on an opponent that used fire attacks." Zephly replied. "I have to take injections all the time for the pain. I'm working on something to restore the damaged nerves. The problem is that I am /not/ the sort who's good with chemicals. I'm a healer. I do a decent job with this that's true, but my strength is diagnostics and field medicine." (1)

"I see…… will you, allow me to try and make something for your leg Zephly?"

"Of course Szayel. You're welcome to try." Zephly said lazily. "However, it MUST be the original leg. No prosthetics. No artificially grown limbs. It's the reason why I refused Warren three experimental treatments of his."

* * *

"Its done." Szayel said confidently a few weeks later. Zephly and his fraccion, Cheiz had to help Szayel into the throne room. "I present you with enough of this chemical to dose three hundred arrancar." Szayel offered a thick clay bottle to Aizen. "I can verse you in its use." He purred. "Add it to drink, or to food."

Cheiz hurried to get the two Espada a chair each, then bowed to the three men and waited outside the throne room. "It will affect shinigami, humans, arrancar, or vaizard. It acts in two weeks. And even better, it can be transmitted to a partner that hasn't been dosed once it takes affect."

"Excellent." Aizen purred. "Tell me more…"

* * *

Grimmjow hated meetings. He was still nursing wounds from his fight with Kurosaki. And while an arrancar healed fast, his back was /very/ sore. Zephly had very gentle hands, but Grimmjow had gotten so annoyed that he had put together a crash pad in the living world.

And what was with Aizen and /tea/? Grimmjow choked down the normally bitter stuff. Earl grey this time, with lavender in it. But today he had a surprise, the tea was… sweet. Szayel and Zephly looked at each other, Szayel all but purred and the smirk on Zephly's face as he drank the tea made Grimmjow want to smack him. It was the look of a child who was doing something potentially dangerous and getting a vicarious turned on thrill from what he was about to do. "I would like to introduce our newest Espada. Novena Espada Zephly Ascepilus is a sage and healer. One of the only ones left. He and his followers refused my earlier offer of a position as Espada and fraccion. However, after the fight against the Soul Society, I asked him to come on in a different capacity. He will be our head medic."

Zephly spoke up. "When you offered me the position of Espada before Aizen, the terms were not as generous. I would not have been allowed to practice my trade, worship my gods nor would I be allowed to continue following the rules of my Order. As it is, my friends Arisu Kitty and Pythias Warren are not going to be happy with my leaving them. I must imagine they have issued an exile declaration by now. However, I warn you not to bore me. I don't deal well with boredom. And I don't deal with idiots. Make sure I have no reason to doubt your intelligence and we'll get along fine." Zephly said coldly. "My three foremost followers and fraccion, Kamron, Cheiz, and Foarmin will be doing a routine examination of every Espada, fraccion and the foremost Numeros. Our hope is to get a baseline of health for each one of you, so that when you engage the enemy again I will be able to treat you adequately." Zephly explained.

Grimmjow growled, finishing up his tea in a few gulps. Szayel looked amused. "Is something wrong, sexta espada?"

"No, not at all." Grimmjow leered. "Tell me Zephly. Do you prefer boxers, briefs or exotic?"

"Exotic, always." Zephly leered back at Grimmjow. "Why, is there something on your mind?" Szayel edged closer to Zephly, almost possessively. Grimmjow chuckled in amusement, so Szayel had already claimed the new Espada as his mate. Nnoitra would be upset, usually Szayel was the one to grace the one eyed Espada's bed.

"Oh no. Of course not." Grimmjow was actually contemplating the lithe and grizzled healer, on hands and knees, and various lewd fantasies of his being fulfilled. Ulquiorra had been refusing him lately. Something about being too busy with reconstruction to bow to his raging libido.

And Ulquiorra didn't give him any sex at all over the following two weeks. Grimmjow was pissed one morning to find all the Espada and half the Numeros and fraccion in a tizzy.

"I CANT BELIEVE HE DOSED US!" Yammy growled. "He had no right!!!!" The Espada snarled, throwing a random piece of furniture at Zephly. "WHAT did you do??????"

Zephly snickered. "If it makes you feel any better I took it willingly." Zephly smirked. "And then dumped a triple dose in Foarmin's morning coffee. Just to watch him go a little crazy." Zephly cackled.

"I did as well." Szayel smirked. "I suspected that Aizen did it at that meeting."

"MUST FIND SOMEONE TO FUUUUUCKKKK………" Grimmjow cackled as Nnoitra hauled Tesla into a closet. A yell of surprise coming from the Fraccion.

"Ulquiorra dearie, looks like work is off for the da……… Ulquiorra?"

Grimmjow found Ulquiorra an hour later, curled up in bed with Stark. "The cheating little son of a……" Grimmjow needed sex. He needed it even more than the other Espada. He was, in fact, fairly certain that Szayel and Zephly were already shagging somewhere private.

"Neeeeeeeedddd…" Grimmjow growled. He fired a cero blast at an unwitting couple snogging in the corridor and then cut open the gargantua. He'd find someone he could screw around with until the drug wore off. He needed some kind of relief before he went mad. And at that point, his lust was bordering on out of control.

* * *

_Sex sex sex sex sex sex sex…_Ogichi chanted irreverantly in Ichigo's mind. _I'm, too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt so sexy it huuuurttts. I'm, too sexy for your party, too sexy for your party, the way I'm disco dancing. _

_SHUT THE HELL UP! _Ichigo replied. He stormed down the streets of Karakura that night.

It had started when Ichigo had invited Renji, Shuhei and Izuru over to hang out. Rukia had gone off to the mall with Orihime, Chizuru and Tatsuki, so Ichigo had responded with a guys night in, watching movies and making popcorn.

Especially since Renji wanted to see Jason. Something about never seeing a human slasher movie before. And with Oban coming he wanted to see something spooky from the human world. Ichigo had also rented "my bloody valentine" since it had come out on DVD a few weeks ago.

Ichigo had walked in on Izuru and Shuhei making out. Izuru's pants were down and Shuhei was well on his way to giving the dopey looking blonde a blowjob. Ichigo had all but screamed and stormed out of the house.

"Wait! Ichigo!" Renji called out.

Ichigo stopped and turned around. "What is it Renji."

"I'm sorry about those two. They got together shortly after Amagai went and… well. Its been a passionate ride for them both ever since." Renji said sheepishly.

"Whatever." Ichigo kept walking.

"Look you aren't um…" Renji hesitated. "You aren't bothered by that stuff right?"

"What stuff?"

"Well… Izuru and Shuhei are both guys." Renji hesitated.

"Chizuru hits on Orihime every single morning. Right in front of me. If I'm not bothered by that I'm not bothered by Izuru and Shuhei being gay. I just have a problem with them doing it IN MY ROOM in front of me." Ichigo said coldly. "Let me go out for awhile. Catch my breath. Give them a chance to get it out of their systems."

"Alright." Renji sighed, turning to go. "See you later."

Ichigo found his way to the bridge by the river. He flopped on his back under it, letting the cool air caress his face.

The blast of spiritual pressure scared Ichigo out of his wits. He jumped up, and was reaching for his soul reaper badge when he suddenly found himself face down on the ground beneath Grimmjow. _Oh god no. He's going to kill me. _Ichigo groaned.

"Berry, this is either going to go very well for you, or very BADLY." Grimmjow's tongue licked at the shell of his ear. "But its happening whether you want it to or not. I need some fucking relief. And you're going to give it to me or…" Grimmjow growled, grinding his clothed hips to Ichigo's leg.

Ichigo's face turned red when he felt Grimmjow's hardness pressing against his thigh. _OGICHIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!_

_King, go easy on him. There's something the matter with him. _

_Like WHAT??? He's going to fucking kill me!!!_

_No, he's not. You know what he /wants/. _

_And why should I give it to him? _Ichigo started struggling like mad. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU???????" Ichigo demanded, thrashing against Grimmjow's hands. The arrancar had pinned him by the legs, and his hands were wandering Ichigo's body, squeezing a butt cheek, caressing his shoulder blades.

"I neeeeeeed relief." Grimmjow panted, "and you're it berry…….."

Ichigo growled. "you're the ENEMY! Why should I bend over for you?????" Ichigo demanded.

"Because if you don't… I'll make you bend over." Grimmjow growled. He licked his lips eagerly, burying his face in Ichigo's hair.

Ichigo closed his eyes, focusing on his spiritual pressure. He made it spike, the energy lashing at Grimmjow in an effort to throw him off. _Please, somebody hear it. SOMEONE!!! _Ichigo thought of Renji, Izuru and Shuhei, safely at home watching horror movies. _Come on guys!!! Feel my aura and HELP!!!_

"I /need/ this Berry. I feel like I'm going to go MAD. You're a horny teenager, you understand."

"What did they… do to you… even I know this isn't like you…"

"SHUT UP." Grimmjow growled, fumbling with Ichigo's belt and fly.

"HEEEEY. HEEEEEY!" Ichigo thrashed at Grimmjow. _If I don't do something fast, this guy is going to do something I really really don't like. What can I do? He /sounds/ off. Like there's something wrong with him. _"Alright, alright. GET OFF." Ichigo growled. "If you can find someplace more private, I'll make a deal with you." Ichigo felt a serious burning tinge of self loathing. "It's the weekend, I don't need to go to school for two more days."

"I'm listening…" Grimmjow's hands were still wandering Ichigo's body. But the glint in his eyes was predatory.

"I'll sleep with you for the weekend. But you have to give /me/ something?"

Grimmjow's face was instantly in the back of his neck, breathing in his scent, sucking at the skin. "What?"

"Tell me all about your Espada friends. Did any of them survive the battle at Los Noches? And what are their powers? Their abilities? Who did Aizen replace the casualties with?"

"In other words you want me to sell them out."

"Actually… think of it as getting to run off your mouth." Ichigo said coldly. "Think about it Grimmjow. If you can find somewhere private, then you have my ass for the whole weekend. To do whatever you please with, as long as you don't kill me."

"Oh I don't think violence, in a manner of speaking, has to come into this." Ichigo flinched as Grimmjow's hand /finally/ found its way into his pants. Ichigo gasped as the man's huge calloused hands grasped the shaft of his penis and began to stroke, possessively, lustfully. "And you're so fortunate, I have a crash pad." Suddenly, Ichigo was being scooped up bridal style, and slung over Grimmjow's shoulder.

As Grimmjow leapt off into the night, he /barely/ missed Renji. The lieutenant had felt Ichigo's panicked release of spiritual pressure, which was attracting hollows all over the place. Hollows too terrified to attack Ichigo /or/ his attacker.

He saw the annoyed expression on Ichigo's face as Grimmjow carried him away. "Rukia is going to /kill/ me." Renji groaned. Then as he watched them leap away he saw something that made his blood run cold, Grimmjow was licking his lips, smacking Ichigo on the ass as they flew away.

"oh god no." Renji groaned. "Damnit Grimmjow……… I WANTED TO BE BERRY'S FIRST!!!" He bolted after the two of them, he had to at least see where Grimmjow was taking Ichigo.

* * *

Grimmjow's crash pad was a small abandoned office in the warehouse district. It had a bathroom, with a shower, a bedroom with a bed that had been abandoned somewhere. And it had a kitchen, which was a good thing. He'd have to convince Grimmjow to let him eat at some point.

Grimmjow set Ichigo down on the bed, "STRIP Ichigo. I've gone without sex for two months, and I NEED that ass!"

Ichigo didn't hesitate. He undid his belt, tossing his jeans and shirt aside, his underwear too. Grimmjow stripped, setting his Katana on the nearest table his face curling into a sneer as he leered at Ichigo. "That… looks exceedingly fine…" He purred, closing the distance between himself and Ichigo. He pushed Ichigo back onto the shabby mattress, sealing the substitute's lips in a kiss.

Ichigo surrendered utterly, opening his mouth to allow the hungry arrancar's tongue inside. He was only slightly hesitant as he twined tongues with the Espada. As their mouths parted, Grimmjow began to kiss his way down Ichigo's neck and shoulders. He sucked on the skin, making sure to leave a mark on Ichigo's shoulder.

Ichigo groaned, his head rolling back on the pillow. Grimmjow purred, licking his way to a nipple and licking at the nub before sucking on it. He rolled it around with his tongue, and Ichigo realized Grimmjow's tongue was rough, like a cats. The arrancar twisted the other nub with his fingers, Ichigo hissed. That was going to leave a bruise.

Grimmjow began to lick his way down Ichigo's chest, dipping that sinful tongue in Ichigo's navel for a moment "You know what they say about fellatio? That its about /worshipping/ your partner. Kneel before him like a supplicant before the gods, show appreciation for every fold and crevasse of skin." Grimmjow purred in a soft, but decidedly lustful tone that sent shivers down the young shinigami's spine before he took Ichigo's length in his mouth.

Ichigo cried out, his eyes rolling back in his head. That was… just incredible. Grimmjow's tongue was rough, like a cats, and he was rubbing it up and down his length, sucking on the now erect and weeping member. Grimmjow pulled back just enough to dip his tongue in the slit, making a show of teasing the head. Ichigo yowled in pleasure, a yowl echoed by Ogichi in his head. Yet despite his master's enjoyment of the act, he could tell that Zangetsu was crying inside their inner world.

It was so confusing, Ichigo's inner hollow was excited by the act, whooping and hollering in excitement. Ogichi was writhing on the ground in his inner world, sharing in the pleasure. But Zangetsu was grieved, depressed, almost ashamed at his Master's actions.

It wasn't long before Ichigo came, screaming Grimmjow's name into the night. Grimmjow purred, licking his lips and swallowing the cum eagerly. He stood. "Be right back. Gotta get some lube or it will hurt like a bitch."

Ichigo shivered in anticipation, his flaccid erection returning with the mere thought of what he was about to do. Grimmjow snickered, returning with a small clay pot of massage oil. "come here… on your hands and knees, turn around and…" He guided Ichigo into a kneeling position on his hands and knees, then turned his hips up. The sight of that virgin entrance, all his for the taking, made Grimmjow's aching cock twitch.

"Relax your muscles or it will hurt more." Grimmjow growled as he slipped an oil slicked finger into Ichigo's entrance. Ichigo did his best to relax. It felt a little strange. Grimmjow's fingers were huge. Ichigo turned his head, and he caught sight of how large Grimmjow's erection was. "Yes, beautiful iddn't it?" Grimmjow snickered as he pushed a second finger in. "You haven't had sex before have you?"

"No." Ichigo felt stupid.

"Arrancar are… unusually rough, much more so than a human or shinigami. I can't stop what I'm about to do… my instincts are already that out of control. If I hurt you, I'm sorry." Grimmjow began to stretch the ring of muscle, scissoring his fingers carefully. "The best I can do is try to make it feel good."

Ichigo nodded, "I need this… by now I think I'm too far gone." He panted. He could sense Ogichi on the ground in his inner world, growling and hissing and writhing in pleasure. His Inner Hollow's insatiable desire was fueling his own. Ogichi wanted this as much as Grimmjow did. _I'm sorry King. My lust is kinda… unruly… and arrancar are… NOT gentle lovers. Your ass is gonna hurt on Monday. _

_At least its semi voluntary instead of… being thrown on the ground and raped. _

_That's what has the Old Man so upset. He's not sure if it's the best thing for your well being. And the fact that Grimmjow's power to choose was compromised only cinches it for him. _

_Well right now… I don't think I could stop. _Ichigo growled, "hurry up already!" He growled.

Grimmjow snickered, pulling his fingers out. "Do you want this on your back or your stomach?" He purred, a hand running over Ichigo's hip.

"On my back. I want to /see/ you." Ichigo panted, rolling over and raising his legs eagerly. Grimmjow carefully lifted Ichigo's legs onto his shoulders. And Ichigo got a /good/ look at how big Grimmjow's erection was. _Man I'm going to hurt at the end of this. _He was thick, he was large, and he had barbs on his erection, like a cat. Ichigo felt his cheeks color and his own cock twitch.

Grimmjow carefully nosed the head in, leaning down so that he was right over Ichigo. Ichigo shivered. Grimmjow kissed Ichigo, slipping his tongue into Ichigo's mouth while he carefully pushed a little further, and a little further, distracting the human while he entered.

Ichigo clung to Grimmjow's shoulders, burying his face in the other's skin. He felt one of Grimmjow's arms go around his waist, pulling their bodies flat together as Grimmjow came to rest firmly inside of him. Ichigo wrapped his legs around the other's hips. It felt a little strange, but not unpleasant. "Whenever you're ready…" Grimmjow husked in Ichigo's ear.

"Now." Ichigo said softly. "now do it."

Grimmjow started to move, beginning slow. The barbs on his erection dragged against Ichigo's walls, eliciting a shiver of pleasure. Ichigo clung for a few moments more before moving against his thrusts, arching against the other's body.

Then Grimmjow hit a tiny bundle of nerves in Ichigo's body, and Ichigo screamed in pleasure. White spots danced before his eyes as Grimmjow shifted his angle and began to pound on it. Ichigo gasped, calling Grimmjow's name. Grimmjow growled, the other arm winding around Ichigo's waist as he gave himself over to the desperate need overriding all caution in his mind.

Ichigo felt himself nearing the edge of release. "G… Grimmjow I…" He panted, then screamed the Espada's name into the night as he came.

Grimmjow growled, speeding up his thrusts to help Ichigo ride out the pleasure before he too came. Ichigo felt Grimmjow's seed burning into him. Then Grimmjow sank his teeth into Ichigo's shoulder, marking him as Grimmjow's. Ichigo heard Ogichi writhing in orgasm in his inner world, sharing in the animaline pleasure his King experienced.

* * *

Renji sat outside the open window, listening as Ichigo surrendered himself to Grimmjow. "Now what, on all three worlds, possessed you to hunt me down for sex. I think I deserve an answer." Ichigo said softly, his voice had the odd quality that someone who had just had /very/ good sex has.

"Aizen had Szayel make this… weird drug, with the help of their new idiot medic. He dosed us all with it. Its some kind of fertility drug but I have no idea what its for. And then /my/ mate doesn't give me sex for weeks before sleeping with STARK. Of all the SCUM he could have cheated on me with."

"You realize that what we do this weekend can't be a lasting engagement."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry to… impinge… on your weekend. I won't bother you after this."

"I hope you don't." Ichigo frowned. "I can't figure it out for the life of me, Ogichi /liked/ what we did, but Zangetsu thinks I'm being stupid."

"Zangetsu?"

"My zanpakuto."

"aaah, then ogichi is…"

"My inner hollow. Oh Gods, just before you… ambushed, me I walked in on Shuhei giving Izuru oral. Ogichi was chanting this stupid song in my head, giggling like an idiot because he thought it was funny."

"Song?"

"It's a cheesy pop sex song from the 90's. Something about 'I'm too sexy for my shirt.'"

"Well you are…" Grimmjaw purred. "I think you're /very/ sexy. Even undrugged. But sleeping with somebody I /fight/ on a regular basis is too awkward. Ooooh I'm going to SKIN Ulquiorra for cheating. At a time like THAT."

"Ulquiorra????? THAT'S your mate?"

"Well yeah. He is… exceedingly sexy. Even /nympho./ When he's not being a total prick." Grimmjow growled softly.

"You know, he may not have been able to resist. You didn't give me many options, but what Aizen did took away your ability to /choose/ who you sleep with. That has to upset you."

"All that upsets me is that someone else slept with MY mate. MINE!" Grimmjow seethed. "So… sorry… arrancar are possessive, even vicious lovers. They think nothing of clawing, marking, slapping or even worse." He shivered. "I did my best to… hold back… while we were doing that but…"

Ichigo said softly, "I forgive you Grimmjow. I forgive you for everything. Aizen is the one I can't forgive." He said softly.

Renji couldn't take it anymore. "Ichigo you idiot." He said softly before leaping off the roof and out into the night.

* * *

1. Readers of Heartsbond will recall that Zephly and his followers are based loosely on House and his team members. Arisu Kitty=Lisa Cuddy and Pythias Warren=James Wilson. I'm trying to make Zephly more like a younger looking version of House. There are serious differences in ideals. Zephly is devoutly a worshiper of the 12 Olympians. House is a dedicated Atheist/Gnostic.


	2. Chapter 2

Notes: I didn't think I'd be able to update this soon so close to moving, but smut doesn't take much effort to write. I think I'm going to make one more GrimmIchi lemon before I move on to the meat.

Behold, a GrimmIchiRen threeway! Enjoy and drool darlings.

* * *

Renji ran and ran and ran, but it was basically just doing circles around the warehouse district. It didn't take him long before he returned to the roof to listen to what Grimmjow and Ichigo were doing. What could he do? If Ichigo weren't careful, he'd get into deep trouble for sleeping with Grimmjow.

He crouched on the roof, only to be hauled up by his hair. "Well lookie here. We have a voyeur!" Renji's heart began to hammer in his chest as Grimmjow lifted him off the roof. "Running away and not coming back I could get, but running away and then coming back to watch us have sex? Naughty shinigami." He hauled Renji into the crash pad.

"Uuuuuuuuuuh… Ichigo?" Renji squeaked, as Grimmjow started groping his ass. "What the HELL are you doing?"

"What are you doing spying on us?" Ichigo returned. All Renji could think about right then was that Ichigo was naked, sprawled on his back on a worn mattress salvaged from god knows what. His body bore all the hickies and marks of rough but nonetheless stimulating sex. He had smears of cum on his stomach, and his neck was peppered with hickies.

"Making sure he doesn't kill you."

"I don't think he had homicide on his mind."

"I don't think he did either." Renji agreed.

"Then why did you hang around?"

"I'm guessing jealousy." Grimmjow snickered. "You want strawberry too don't you?"

Renji's face turned scarlet.

"Well that explains why you were so worried whether or not I was upset at Izuru and Shuhei being gay." Ichigo snorted. "I dunno Grimmjow, maybe we could make this a threeway, or are you too possessive to be interested."

Renji's heart started to pound. He was head over heals in love with Ichigo. "Hey, I love you more than he does. I heard you talking, he's just doing that for sex."

"Yes, I am. When I'm done with the strawberry you're welcome to him, unless, of course, you want to make it a threeway." Grimmjow licked his lips.

"Hell yeah." Renji growled. It was horrible of him, but he wanted sex with Ichigo, and Grimmjow's body was so… ripped… so sexually attractive, that if he weren't an enemy Renji would be interested in him himself.

Ichigo snickered, "Then strip." He smirked, looping his arms around Renji's waist. "I'm already ready to go, but you're going to need some lubricant." He husked.

Renji's grin turned loopy, Ichigo's tone of voice sent heat pooling straight to his groin. "I'll have to leave in a few hours, but I'll cover for you while you're gone." He muttered. "Just promise me you won't let him drag you back to Hueco Mundo with him?"

"I have no intent of taking him there." Grimmjow said, arching an eyebrow. "I just need him for the weekend."

Renji was quickly stripping out of his uniform, Grimmjow's eyes took in the lieutenant, raking over the striped tattoos. Having once been a tiger himself, Grimmjow was seriously attracted by the striped tribal patterns that coiled around Renji's form from his face down to his ass. Even more erotic, the tattoos on his hips lead down to his crotch, forming a lead line to his dick. (1)

Renji reached for the pot of oil, if Ichigo thought Grimmjow was hot, he'd give Ichigo a show. But in the next instant Grimmjow had him in his arms, turning him around so that he was on his hands and knees. "The show is unnecessary." Grimmjow growled. "Oye, strawberry, take the other side."

Ichigo blushed, "other side."

"Me above, you below." Grimmjow snickered.

Renji blushed, realizing what Grimmjow was planning. The Espada's rough, catlike tongue carefully wormed its way into Renji's entrance. At the same time Ichigo slid beneath Renji's arms and legs and took his dick in his mouth, reaching up to suck the hardening length.

Ichigo wasn't particularly skilled in felatio, not the way that say, Shuhei or Yumichika might have been, but the fact that this was Ichigo, the naïve substitute that Renji didn't think knew anything about sex, sucking on his dick with a sultry look in his eyes, and Grimmjow's tongue plundering his hole, Renji's arms and legs almost buckled.

He started to pant, groaning and bucking up to meet Grimmjow's tongue and then down again into Ichigo's mouth. If this kept up, Renji was going to reach his peek far too soon.

Grimmjow noticed this, pulling away. "That's enough Ichigo. Now you." He smirked at Renji. "Whatchyou wanna do first, the strawberry? Or would you like to have the strawberry fucking that hole?"

Renji's cock twitched as Ichigo pulled away just enough to get air and get ready for more. "There's time for both isn't there? I'll /start/ with you Ichigo." He growled, licking his lips. "And when this… Espada…" Sneer at Grimmjow. "Is done with you you are… mine." He hissed, pulling Ichigo into his arms. "Go on… Grimmjow isn't it? I want my strawberry first."

Grimmjow threw back his head and laughed, "Then take him, I won't grab you until you're fully inside him."

Ichigo smirked, turning around and presenting himself for Renji. "Then come on…" he smirked. Renji snickered, bending himself over Ichigo's backside. Ichigo felt his body shiver in anticipation when he felt Renji push the tip of his dick in.

Renji growled in his ear, sliding his dick carefully into Ichigo's already abused hole. Ichigo's ass was tight, maddening even. Renji groaned, kissing the back of Ichigo's neck, tenderly licking at the bruises on his neck. Ichigo shivered in pleasure, arching his hips backwards into Renji's. Renji whispered in his ear. "If you'll have me, when this animal is done ravaging your body, allow me to show you how deeply I feel for you. And the sort of experience that a few hundred years can bring." He buried his face in Ichigo's hair, his own crimson locks falling around Ichigo's.

Grimmjow had better hearing than Renji thought he did. And the show the redhead was giving him was enticing enough that it was a joy to watch. But the prospect of having two shinigami to fuck was too tempting. He leaned over Renji, nosing the head in carefully. He licked at the back of Renji's neck the way he had Ichigo, slipping himself in inch by enormous inch. Grimmjow's dick was easily ten inches long, maybe more, and about two and a half thick. The barbs on it tickled Renji's sensitive wall.

Unlike Ichigo, Renji was fairly experienced in sex, but the barbs were something he hadn't felt before. He groaned, arching his back against Grimmjow's chest. Ichigo grinned dopily, arching his hips up into Renji's. "Move already." He growled.

Renji pulled out a little, and Grimmjow did the same behind him, and then started to thrust in. Ichigo rolled his hips backwards into Renji's own, and just as Grimmjow started to pick up speed inside of Renji's own passage, Renji began to thrust vigorously into Ichigo's. It was a chain reaction, and the feeling of being taken and taking another at once was enough to send Renji's senses reeling.

Renji hit Ichigo's prostate and the substitute howled as his vision went white. Grimmjow changed angle, and suddenly those barbs were dragging across Renji's prostate. Renji screamed in pleasure, writhing beneath Grimmjow's ministrations. "FUCK!" A stream of curses started coming from Renji's mouth. He instantly understood why Ichigo had made so much noise that first time through. Renji had a good deal of experience in sex, and those barbs /still/ made his insides melt.

Grimmjow started to pound into Renji, and Renji the same to Ichigo. Ichigo howled in pleasure each time Renji's dick impacted his prostate. The substitute was nearing the edge, screaming Renji's name as he came. At the same time, Grimmjow sank his fangs into an erogenous zone in Renji's shoulder, Renji thrust one more time into Ichigo's body before he filled the substitute with his seed. Grimmjow yowled, thrusting one more time into Renji's passage before the lieutenant felt Grimmjow's cum seering his sensitized body.

The three men fell to the bed, panting heavily. Renji had a stupidly dopey grin on his face. He'd had his share of sexual partners, even his share of threesomes, but this had to top the list. Grimmjow was purring, snuggling in on one side of Ichigo, with Renji on the other. Ichigo smirked, pulling Grimmjow closer behind him before resting his head on Renji's chest.

"We still need to switch places." Grimmjow snickered. "Since I'm far more interested in the strawberry than in you." He reached out to lick Ichigo's neck possessively. Ichigo flushed, his erection quickly springing to life again.

Grimmjow was enjoying himself. He'd gotten to fuck not just one, but two shinigami. And that MORE than made up for Ulquiorra cheating on him with Stark.

Ichigo snickered. "I know I'm new to this." He told Renji, "But I'd love to swap places." He purred. And he wanted to feel Grimmjow's dick in his ass again. The barbs were addictive, and his body was reacting the way a tigress or lioness in estrous might to a male. After all, the purpose of those barbs was to stroke the female into heat or prolong the receptivity of the female."

Renji snickered, getting back up on all fours. "I'll humor you this once, but when its just us, you are /so/ uke." He growled.

"Fair enough." Ichigo smirked, curling his limber body over Renji's. "Here I come." He growled, pressing his erection into Renji's entrance. It didn't take long for Ichigo to bury his full length in Renji's passage. The sensation of being encased in Renji's body was dizzying, and Ichigo's pleasure was heightened when Grimmjow wasted no time in filling his hole with his stiff, heated erection.

Ichigo pulled out a little, thrusting back into Renji's body. Grimmjow pulled back a little, dragging the barbs against the walls of Ichigo's hole before doing the same. Grimmjow growled, setting a rapid, almost frenzied pace for the threesome which Ichigo picked up, pounding into Renji's body.

Renji groaned, arching against Ichigo's back. Ichigo was trying, but he didn't have the same sort of accuracy Grimmjow did in hitting his koi's sweet spot. Renji arched his hips to Ichigo's, savoring the sensation when Ichigo finally did hit his prostate. "THERE. Right…. Ooooh fuck…." Renji groaned, arching his back to Ichigo's thrusts. Grimmjow pounded into Ichigo's ass, riding him as hard as he could.

It didn't take long for Ichigo to come, arching his back and howling in pleasure, Renji groaned as Ichigo filled him, his peak following the strawberry's. Grimmjow growled, thrusting into the substitute one last time, before his orgasm filled Ichigo once more.

Renji rolled away, and so did Ichigo. Grimmjow's lust was still extremely uncontrollable, but he wasn't jealous when Ichigo snuggled against Renji instead of him. Renji kissed Ichigo gently on the forehead. Then he turned to Grimmjow. "I was never here, I won't kiss and tell if you won't."

"Whatever, I want the strawberry, you can have him when I'm done." Grimmjow purred, stroking Ichigo's hair possessively. "Besides, when I get back there I'm going to grab that asshole mate of mine and make sure he knows who he's mated to."

Ichigo's face twitched. "Mind not talking about your mate when you're fucking me? Please?"

"oooh, language." Grimmjow snickered, licking at Ichigo's neck like a cat. "Someone should wash your mouth out with soap."

"I have a better idea. Let Renji get cleaned up and dressed, and then we can take a little shower." Ichigo flashed Renji a wink, then rolled over to snuggle against Grimmjow.

"Oooooh." Grimmjow purred, twining his legs with Ichigo's. Renji stood, walking into a nearby bathroom in search of a towel. Ichigo pulled the blankets on Grimmjow's makeshift bed over them both, spooning Grimmjow. He waited until he heard Renji leave, then pulled Grimmjow into a kiss. "Come on, there's a shower in here right? I thought I heard water running."

"Yeah, whoever ran this warehouse had an apartment of some kind up here. The shower isn't much, just a stall with running water and soap."

"Then come on…" Ichigo tugged on Grimmjow's hand gently. "Lets clean up."

* * *

1. A lead line is a tattoo that leads down to the private parts, meant to encourage oral pleasure when lovemaking.


	3. Chapter 3

Notes: After seeing a lot of art with Gin/Hitsugaya, I feel like I have to shoot off my mouth about it. Gin/Hitsugaya is my least favorite Bleach pairing of all time, even above Ruki/Ichi or Ichi/Hime. Because in my book, Gin is probably the only one of the Bleach bad guys likely to commit a sex crime. And Gin and Hitsu together just makes me sick. I don't mind Hitsugaya with say, Urahara or Ukitake if it appears in a fic. Because both of them are warm loving characters who take good care of their mates. But Gin doesn't do that. In my eye he's a sadist. Anyway, just my shooting my mouth off about it.

* * *

Into the night, and the next day, and the night, Ichigo gave himself over to Grimmjow. Whatever drug Aizen had put in the sexta espada's system had made him as hyper sexual as a real life tiger in mating season. He loved the sex, his only worry was what was going on at home in his absence.

Between Grimmjow's fits of lust, he managed to give Ichigo basic information on Zephly and the troop of healers that came with him. Enough to staff an entire division. The intelligence he gave Ichigo, the deputy thought would keep him out of trouble with Yamamoto upon his return.

It was towards the end of the weekend, late Sunday night. Ichigo was curled up on the mattress, getting whatever sleep he could while Grimmjow curled up next to him. He awoke to Grimmjow licking and sucking on his shoulder. He rolled over, grunting slightly. "hello…" He said simply, a lazy smirk crossing Ichigo's face.

"Hello beautiful…" Grimmjow growled softly. He pulled Ichigo into a demanding kiss, and the deputy responded, looping his arms around Grimmjow's shoulders. Grimmjow pinned Ichigo on his back, ravaging the deputy's mouth while his hands smoothed their way over his hips and buttocks. "I want to do something, normally just Ulquiorra and I do…" he husked in Ichigo's ear, eyes dark with mating lust.

"Really? What is it?" Ichigo smirked.

"I want…" And grimmjow ground his erection against Ichigo's entry. "To cum inside you so many times, your belly bulges." He husked, breath turning heavy in Ichigo's ear. "There's a trick to it." He added, moving a pillow underneath Ichigo's hips. He took Ichigo's erection in one of his thickly calloused hands and began to pump the shaft, bringing the strawberry's erection to attention. Ichigo groaned, looping his legs around Grimmjow's shoulders.

Then Grimmjow was pressing at his entrance, nosing the head in before shoving his way in deftly. Ichigo had had sex with him about an hour earlier, his passage was still slick and stretched and slightly bloody from where he'd been torn, but at this point he was loose enough to take the other raw.

Grimmjow carefully pushed Ichigo's legs back against his chest, the result was that Ichigo's body was tilted backwards and his hips tilted upwards. At this angle, Grimmjow's thrusts came in shallow, and the barbs dragged over Ichigo's prostate. "SHIT…" Ichigo screamed in pleasure.

Grimmjow started to pound into him, the shallow angle maximizing stimulation. Ichigo rocked back into his thrusts, whimpering in pleasure. Grimmjow's hands were busy with his body, caressing all the sensitive spots he could reach.

It didn't take long for Ichigo to go over the edge, screaming the other's name into the night. Grimmjow came a few moments later, searing into him. Head rolling back on the pillow, Ichigo felt Grimmjow's seed seeping deep into his body. (1)

It didn't take long for Ichigo's world to dissolve into one of total pleasure, but even as Grimmjow came again and again and his seed slowly filled his passage, Ichigo thought there was something missing here. Something that his mind struggled to put together, but couldn't make the connection. Ichigo hadn't seen many female arrancar on his visit to Hueco Mundo or during the battle in the fake Karakura town after. If there were so many females, why make the men so desperate to have sex not just with them, but with each other. Why? What was he missing?

By the time Grimmjow's lust was finally sated, Ichigo's stomach was indeed swollen. "Damn, Grimmjow." Ichigo moved to sit up, the fluids in him gurgled sickeningly when he tried to move.

Grimmjow pressed him back down onto the bed. "uh uh uh…" He smirked. "you have to lie here like this a little longer. I want to taste myself in you." He kissed Ichigo lazily, heatedly, before letting his legs drop and pulling out. "I want me… to sink deeply into you." He took Ichigo's legs, placing them up on his shoulders, and leaned down.

Ichigo groaned, a hand pressing to his abdomen hesitantly. And Grimmjow snorted, his tongue finally making contact with Ichigo's entry. He could taste blood mixed with his cum, and realized he was being rough with Ichigo. And his ministrations were gentle after that. Truly grimmjow longed for Ulquiorra's body. Longed to make the cold Espada writhe beneath him in pleasure.

Ichigo groaned, wriggling slightly as Grimmjow lapped at his entry way. "G… grimmjow…" He groaned.

The two men curled up with each other. Ichigo was exhausted, Grimmjow could tell, and his body was begging for more sex. And as if he could read Grimmjow's mind, Ichigo murmured, on the edge of sleep. "Ulquiorra is probably missing you by now. If I were you I'd go back there, and show just how much better a lover you are than the guy he cheated with." Ichigo yawned.

Grimmjow was slowly starting to come back to himself. "You're right." He muttered.

Ichigo awoke at dawn to find Grimmjow gone. There was a note left on the table. "Ichigo, you're right. I've gone to take Ulquiorra back. You can go home whenever you feel like it."

Ichigo sighed, getting up and dressing. He grabbed something to eat from a local bakery on his way, and arrived at the Urahara Shoten a few hours later, limping. His neck and shoulders were covered with bruises like hickies, and he was bleeding from several love bites. His body was screaming in protest with every movement. But he didn't want to go home in the state he was in. "OYE! Getaboshi!" He called, searching for Urahara, the notebook with intelligence and stats in it under one arm.

Every muscle in his body was screaming protest. Ichigo thought he might collapse. But he found Urahara, Renji and Rukia in the room that held the video phone.

They were talking to Yamamoto. "I'm telling you, Ichigo isn't a…" Rukia was insisting.

Ichigo knew what conversation they were having. Debating whether or not he'd betrayed the soul society.

One look at the deputy's body, and Yamamoto regretted his accusation. He knew the sex habits of arrancar all too well. He'd had a problem with them in his youth, before he became the grizzled old man that everyone just called "sir." "Kurosaki! You look to be in bad shape. Can you account for your absence young man?" His expression and tone was far kinder than his words.

"Grimmjow he…" Ichigo sank to his hands and knees. "Yamamoto, Aizen did something to his arrancar, he drugged them with some kind of aphrodisiac. Grimmjow couldn't find anybody in los Noches to have sex with, so he came to the living world to find someone. I'd gone out to get some air, and he found me. Hauled me off to the warehouse district with him. He was going… sir if I didn't let him do it he'd have thrown me down on the ground and… and…" Ichigo refused to look Yamamoto in the eye. "I told him if he could find some place private, and gave me some intelligence on what Aizen was doing, he could do whatever he wanted to me." Ichigo mumbled.

Yamamoto squeezed his eyes shut, remembering an arrancar many, many, many centuries before who had left his own body in a similar state. "I'm sorry young man. When one of our strongest allies goes missing without a word, I have to assume the worst. Give what you got to Urahara, and take a few days to rest. I'm sending Unohana to the Urahara shop to check you over, make sure you came to no harm." He frowned.

"I need to warn you, Yamamoto. Aizen convinced a bunch of arrancar healers to join him! Pretty soon he'll have a medical corps too, if he didn't already have one."

Yamamoto arched a brow. "Did he say who the leader of this medical corps was?"

"Only his first name, Zephly." Ichigo was exhausted, but he felt he had to deliver his intelligence, so that the others could go over it while he rested. "Grimmjow said he'd been made 9th Espada, and that a whole bunch of his followers joined Aizen as his medical corps. He said Zephly was the one who made the aphrodisiac."

Yamamoto's eyes widened. Zephly had joined Aizen. Yamamoto squeezed his eyes shut on the memory of what Zephly had done to him almost a thousand years ago. He was a young man, and Zephly was an enemy he'd been sent to kill.

Zephly had returned, and was directly responsible for the condition Ichigo was in. Yamamoto bowed his head in apology. "Kurosaki, I'm sorry for what happened to you, and what happened to Grimmjow. If you will give Unohana and Urahara the liberty, I want them to do some tests on you. I'm sorry. I know you're exhausted but time may be of the essence." He sent off a hell butterfly telling Unohana everything that happened. "I know who Zephly is. Trust me, he is capable of being Espada One if he wanted to be. The only reason why he is Espada nine is because direct power does not suit him. If he is the one who made the drug used on Grimmjow, then you yourself may be in danger."

Ichigo nodded slowly, very drowsy. "While I wait for her, I'm going to crash in the guest room. Sorry sir. I'm exhausted. And I'd… like to bring Renji with me if you don't mind." He said quietly, taking Renji's hand and leaning on him.

Yamamoto realized that Ichigo was exhausted, and was probably going to collapse. "of course. Abarai, I'm trusting you to keep watch on Ichigo while he rests. Unohana will be in shortly."

Renji nodded, "Come on Ichigo."

As soon as they were gone, Urahara looked over at Yamamoto. "What is it old man? I've never heard of this Zephly guy. Where's he from, what's his game?"

"He's older than I am, when I was a young man, he caused me a lot of pain and suffering. Zephly's capture and death will be given the highest priority by the secret mobile corps, but other than that I will not be taking part in the investigation into Zephly's doings. I am… not impartial where he is concerned."

"Tell me…" Urahara urged.

Yamamoto glared at Rukia. "Kuchiki, I'm sure your friend Ichigo will need you. Go to him for now."

Rukia left, realizing that whatever Yamamoto was about to say he would not say in her presence.

As soon as he was certain she was gone. "What is it old man?" Urahara said, a kinder expression on his face.

"Zephly himself, goes through periods where his hormones come unbalanced, when that happens, he himself enters the same state that Ichigo faced with Grimmjow, the uncontrollable need to have sex. When I was a young man, I was sent to slay him. Zephly was in one of these states, and he kept me his prisoner and unwilling sex toy for over a week before I was finally found and rescued. I want Zephly captured, and executed! But I cannot take part in it myself, I am not impartial to the matter."

"Understood. If you don't mind, may I let Yoruichi in on this? She's far more skilled than Soi Fon. And a woman will have, if anything, even more sympathy for what happened to you than a man might." Urahara suggested.

"Those I'm willing to trust, I will arrange a meeting with. As it is, Unohana is the only one who knows about the incident. I will need to inform her that Zephly is back, and that she may be dealing with a concoction of his. This is not the last we've heard of his work."

"Understood old man. I'll be waiting for Unohana in the front yard."

Yamamoto nodded, disconnecting the video phone. Yamamoto could feel it immediately, the agitation, the rage, the all consuming desire to tear Zephly limb for limb for a wound over a thousand years old but never healed.

And he knew at once.

He couldn't be the one to make this chase.

He couldn't be the one to fight this fight.

He would have to rely on the captains he trained for the revenge he wanted so desperately.

Because if he acted out of personal revenge, he knew he was going to cause serious damage to everything he'd worked a thousand years to build.

And the desire to destroy that was filling him at that moment was enough to burn half of Seireitei to the ground if he wasn't careful.

* * *

Ichigo just curled himself in a ball in the guest room and snuggled against Renji. He slipped out of his jeans, staying just in his shirt and underwear.

Renji sat in silence with him, stroking Ichigo's hair tenderly. Ichigo must have fallen asleep because the next thing he knew, there was a gentle knock on the door. "Ichigo, its me, Unohana. May I come in?"

"Sure." Ichigo mumbled.

"Hey…" She closed the door, smiling faintly to Renji. "Do you mind if Renji is in here with you?"

"I don't care." Ichigo said, absolutely exhausted.

"Yamamoto told me everything. Arrancar are rough lovers."

"We were going for two days straight." Ichigo told her.

"You weren't with anyone else just before were you?"

Ichigo and Renji looked at each other. "You won't tell anybody?"

"I can't, unless there's an imminent danger to a third party."

"Its okay Ichigo."

"Renji tracked me down, out of jealousy. And he insisted that Grimmjow… er… let him in on it once… I didn't mind. I like Renji. I do! I just didn't… say anything to him about it… er…" Ichigo blushed. "I'm not in trouble over that am I?"

"no, neither is Renji. Renji, I need to run tests on you too though. It might be something that can contaminate someone else. So I need to check. You understand."

"Yes Unohana." Renji nodded.

"Ichigo, I need to get some swabs, and its going to sting. I know you're already in pain."

Ichigo groaned, the kind of swabs that Unohana had to take involved swabbing around the penis, and then poking a cotton swab up his entry. "Blood test too. Sorry. I'm going to have to repeat the blood tests every three days."

Ichigo winced as the swab poked painfully up his entrance, he blushed. "Alright."

"I'll be back in a few hours to do a scan of your body for internal damage. For now, rest."

Almost as soon as Unohana repeated the same dance with Renji, and was gone to analyze the samples of semen and blood she'd taken, Ichigo curled up in Renji's arms and cried himself to sleep.

* * *

1. The position they're using is "the crab" which is considered one of the positions to use if you're trying to get pregnant. It provides a shallow angle of penetration for better sensation.


	4. Chapter 4

Grimmjow entered his room to realize that Ichigo had been right. Ulquiorra was waiting for him. Nekkid on the bed, hesitantly stroking himself. The fact that his mate had been masturbating in his bed caught Grimmjow's remaining lust and pushed any thought of fucking Ichigo clear out of his mind.

"I've been… waiting here." Ulquiorra said, voice cracking slightly. "Where did you go?"

"I cheated. Sorry. I got angry that you and Stark…"

"What happened?"

"He said you probably missed me." Grimmjow knelt onto the bed, slipping out of his shirt.

"I did." Ulquiorra sat up, leaning against Grimmjow's chest. "I missed you terribly. I want… before the lust passes I want you to…take my breath away. Please." Ulquiorra's body pressing needily against his was all the begging Grimmjow needed from his lover. The sexta Espada stripped, showing his lover that he could indeed live up to the undertones implied by the title 'sexta.'

~ 3 Days later

The captains meeting had an unusual add on, the video phone connected to the living world and Urahara shop, where Urahara, Yoruichi, Isshin and Tessai on video conference.

Yamamoto looked around. "The only people privy to the story I am about to tell you are those in this room and those on the video phone." He said quietly. "Aizen has made an alliance with a tribe of Healer Arrancar known as the Neo Atheneans. A long time ago I met their leader.

"I was very young then compared with now. My body was barely as mature as your average lieutenant's. I had just gotten my shikai, and thought that I could take on anything as long as I had Ryuujin Jakka at my side.

"I was sent to slay the current Neo Athenean Leader and the Order's founder, Zephly Ophiucus Ascepilas, he usually drops the middle name when introducing himself. While /my/ body has aged and battered with time, Zephly is still young and vital, and old enough that he died by human sacrifice. He is older than I am, and the only reason he is not currently the 1st Espada is because it does not serve his purposes to be so.

"Zephly has a problem with his hormones, where the right alignment of stars and planets in the sky stricken him with uncontrollable lust. I was foolhardy enough to burst in on him resting in a cave in the Greek Countryside not far from the Oracle of Delphi's shrine during this alignment.

"he trapped me in that cave for three days, forcing me to be his plaything in all number of sexual acts. When his madness lifted, he left me there. The shinigami in those days were not as organized as they are now, and when we tried to find him, we got some basic intelligence on his tribe, and then we lost him.

"What your average officer is allowed to know of this story, is that when their commander general was young, he fought the Neo Athenean leader, and lost. That his age and his strength and the dark knowledge he possesses make him our number four priority after Aizen, Tousen, and Ichimaru."

"Yama-ji, this is one story you never told when we were in the academy." Shunsui said dolefully. "Surely you could have trusted Ukitake and myself? I understand how horribly hard it must have been but…" Shunsui was distressed by the thought that /his/ mentor, the person he considered a father, had been raped by an arrancar as a young officer.

"I am trusting the captains I trained, to do what they were trained to do, and get justice for those who cannot have the personal gratification of knowing they defeated their tormentor." Yamamoto said grimly. "If my rage at what occurred were set loose, half the Soul society would burn."

"You said dark knowledge, is he a scientist as well as a healer?" Mayuri asked, a small smile curling his face.

"He isn't a scientist, but his library does contain a large amount of scientific data. That is probably the only thing of his the scouts were able to get reliable intelligence on. He has collected it over his lifetime. That library is his most valued possession. Unfortunately because it is so valuable he fortified it to withstand most Reiatsu attacks. An invasion that could destroy Neo Athens, could not destroy the library within its walls." Yamamoto frowned. "It has a false spire, in the upper floors is a shrine to the 12 Olympian Gods and a light house with signal drums at the top. The knowledge within it is stored in the lower parts of the tower, which extends down into the Menos forest and is capable of withstanding multiple cero blasts from a menos grande, it was found to withstand Hado up into the nineties without so much as a shake."

Isshin whistled. "whew, that's some serious defenses. So there's no way to get to it below, and there's no way to get to it above. I'll bet Kurotsuchi-perve could get in though."

"I'm right here you know."

"I know Kurotsuchi-perv. And I'll call you that until you prove that you aren't as perverted as I think you are. Unless its to call you Mayuri-perv, but that has a totally different ring to it don't you think?"

"Whatever."

"Isshin darling, behave." Unohana had treated Isshin from the start as one would a disobedient child. He was, in his day, the Rebel of the 4th Division before he became a seated officer and then a captain. She was the only one able to curb his exuberance and his practical joking.

"Urahara, what have you to report about the condition of Deputy Kurosaki?"

"Thanks to the samples Unohana took, I've been able to tell /exactly/ what the drug is, every gruesome step in its dance of disruption. I must say that its incredibly complex. The drug is actually a virus." Urahara said with a smirk on his face. "Its self perpetuating through one generation. Meaning that while Ichigo was exposed from Grimmjow, he can't spread it to anybody else.

"That could be a problem." Unohana sighed. "I was originally going to keep the incident in confidence, please forgive me all of you."

"What happened?"

"Lieutenant Abarai found Grimmjow carrying Ichigo off and chased him down to the ware house district. Grimmjow caught him spying on him and Ichigo and hauled him into his little love nest. Ichigo asked Abarai not to tell anybody what happened until it was all over. I think he didn't want to be alone with what was happening, and I think he holds some amount of feelings for Abarai-fukutaichou. Ichigo asked Abarai to join him for a half hour or so. I asked Ichigo why he didn't want Abarai to tell anyone what was happening until it was over, was that he didn't want a squad of officers being sent to rescue him and getting hurt because Grimmjow decided to kill them for interfering. Remember that Arrancar have both human and animal mating instincts and can be quite aggressive to anyone unfortunate enough to interrupt them."

The different captain's reactions were mixed. Yamamoto's expression was pitying. Kyouraku and Ukitake looked at each other. Kurotsuchi mused. "So the invicible substitute can be frightened after all."

"Yes, that is the tactical assumption I would make." Soifon said quietly. "But considering the situation its understandable that he wanted company. I would certainly want Yoruichi-sama there if I were being held prisoner and… used…"

"No warrior can fight all the time." Kyouraku pointed out. "If that's true that Ichigo is insecure about what happened, then its our turn to do right by him. What did you find Urahara?"

"It took me awhile to sequence the virus' DNA, but it wasn't hard. So I point out that if Renji was exposed we will get the first symptoms in about five minutes from now. Most arrancar would not feel the changes happening, but their bodies are stronger than ours. A shinigami or human would feel it very quickly.

"The virus begins about three or four days after exposure by destroying any non reproductive organ that a human can survive without that's below the waist. That leaves space in the male body for female reproductive organs to form, which do by the time the week is out. After that happens, the virus migrates to various glands that produce sex hormones, wait, and then destroy themselves enmass when the reformed sex organs send a hormonal trigger to the required organs, causing the person to go into an uncontrollable lust for a period of three to five days. During that time the body scrubs out any waste tissues or materials the virus may have created while it does that damage. So whoever is infected, we'll know relatively quickly."

Unohana's expression turned grim. "I see. Yamamoto should I go to the world of the living to help?"

"Yes, go. The deputy shinigami's and Abarai-fukutaichou's safety is important. Make sure he's alright."

Unohana hurried out of the meeting, and took off at top shunpo. Using her cellphone, she ordered Ikemura to have her gigai brought to the senkaimon gates. She would be in the world of the living in a maximum of twenty minutes.

In the meantime, a scream echoed through the Urahara shop and reached the captain's through the video phone.

"Told you." Urahara replied.

Yoruichi flashstepped off screen, Isshin ran after her.

Renji was trembling, but he wasn't the one screaming.

Ichigo was. Ichigo writhed in Renji's arms, screaming in pain. The Lieutenant buried his face in Ichigo's hair, trying to comfort the screaming deputy.

Yamamoto closed his eyes, and waited. Urahara moved off screen and came back a few moments later. "Abarai Renji hasn't been infected, unfortunately Ichigo has.

* * *

Ichigo had spent the last three days more or less either sleeping or having sex with Renji. He didn't want to go to school after what happened. He felt… dirty…

Somehow, sleeping with Grimmjow had made him not care about being promiscuous. And Renji was both there and had a libido willing enough to provide relief.

And he hadn't been at home either. He'd curled up in a ball in the guest suite of Urahara's shop and just laid there. Urahara had only bothered him to come in with food and run the occasional test. He hadn't stirred, and Renji hadn't left his side.

Ichigo had had sex with renji maybe an hour before, he'd curled up in his temporary lover's arms and he'd been asleep.

Pain, serious pain, woke him. "Ichi?" Renji asked groggily.

"My body…" Ichigo said softly. "My body hurts."

"Huh?"

"My stomach." Ichigo mumbled.

Then the wave of pain hit in earnest, and Ichigo doubled over, screaming and shaking in pain. Renji paled in fright, cradling Ichigo in his arms.

In an instant Yoruichi was there. "Ichigo… I'm sorry." She said quietly. She quickly stuck a needle in his shoulder with a sedative. Ichigo's eyes fluttered closed, still trembling in Renji's arms.

Yoruichi looked up. "OYE! Isshin, he's asleep now you don't have to worry about being seen."

Renji got the shock of his life when Ichigo's supposedly very strange father walked in, calm and collected and looking very grim, and wearing a tattered captain's haori hanging around his waist.

"Renji, meet Ichigo's father, Isshin Kurosaki."

"M… ma…. Ma'am? K… Kurosaki-tttt… Taichou."

"I don't have the title captain anymore Renji. But as long as you're sleeping with my son you have to call me sir. And if you tell him you saw me like this before I'm ready to show him, you'll be in deep trouble." Isshin warned him.

Renji gulped and nodded. "Its not serious anyway, he just needs some comfort and the chance to process what happened to him I think." Ichigo was pale in his arms. "I don't understand, what's happening to him?"

"The drug that Aizen gave Grimmjow, its based on some kind or retro virus that rewrites anatomy." Yoruichi explained.

"HOW?" Renji demanded.

"Well Renji, let me ask you. What's the only logical reason to have an arrancar fall into a fit of uncontrollable lust and not be able to decide if they want to have sex with someone or not?"

"I have no /idea./" Renji replied.

"To /breed/ them. Aizen is breeding his arrancar."

Renji sort of, headtilted for a moment. "To breed for… wait why? He'd have to wait at least twenty years for those bred arrancar to fight."

"He can wait. Remember, we are shinigami, we can wait for decades more."

"But if the arrancar are his target, why make it affect Ichigo?"

"Probably because his inner hollow makes him vulnerable to it."

"Inner hollow?"

"Has Ichigo told you anything about that mask of his?"

"no, he hasn't."

"There's a reason for that. Ichigo has an inner hollow, a part of his mind that broke off from his own mind. He's a vaizard." Yoruichi looked up, but Isshin had left.

"A what?" Renji was confused.

"A vaizard is a shinigami with hollow powers. About a hundred years ago, Aizen used the Hogyoku on some of the shinigami who were captains and lieutenants at the time. The result were the Vaizard. Then he covered his tracks and made Urahara look like the guilty party. In truth, Urahara was trying to save them. He, Tessai and I were exiled, and the Vaizard would have been put to death. But I broke in, rescued all of them, and then we escaped to the world of the living and hid until the time was right to prove our innocence."

"But how did Ichigo…"

"Remember how Byakuya slashed his soul chain and soul sleep? Well the only way to recover his powers was to make Ichigo a vaizard. Urahara didn't tell him what he would be doing to himself because Ichigo was still new to the ways of the soul society. He knew Ichigo would have trouble presenting himself directly as a vaizard, substitute shinigami was easier to get the captains to accept. They've all seen Ichigo in mask or heard about it, but very few of them actually know what that mask means."

"does Yamamoto-sama know?"

"Yes, he does. Urahara explained to him when he asked."

"So this inner hollow is why Ichigo is vulnerable?"

"We're not sure. Urahara thinks that the virus was meant for both arrancar, vaizard and shinigami alike. I think its just dumb luck you didn't get it from that one time with Grimmjow. Sometimes in an individual a virus engineered for these kinds of purposes just doesn't take. You're a very dominant personality. Perhaps it simply affects the uke?"

Yoruichi frowned, not quite sure what other conclusion to draw. Why /didn't/ it take effect in Renji? Did he have some kind of immunity or was it dumb luck?

* * *

For protection, Zangetsu pulled Ichigo into his inner world the instant the sedative hit. Ichigo fell to his knees, caught mid fall by the Zanpakuto spirit. "Old man… I feel like crap."

"No kidding." Zangetsu said with an amused snort.

An instant later Ogichi flopped into Zangetsu's grip as well. "Itaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiii!" the hollow was crying.

Ichigo couldn't blame him. "I'm trying to numb the pain Ichigo, but trust me, your body is hurting a lot right now."

Ichigo was trembling. "What happened?" He had this really dull sensation in his midsection. Like his brain had been cut off from the pain that should be debilitating.

"Yoruichi gave you a sedative and anesthetic." Zangetsu replied. "Unfortunately Ogichi doesn't have the same amount of luck that you did."

Ogichi was whining and writhing in Zangetsu's grip. Ichigo sighed, snuggling against his zanpakuto spirit before pulling Ogichi gently into his arms. "Come on you."

"If anybody asks, this didn't happen." Ogichi grumbled, curling up in Ichigo's arms.

Ichigo chuckled, leaning down to kiss Ogichi gently on the forehead. "You'll be alright. We both will. Just stick close to Zangetsu until the pain goes away okay?"

Ogichi nodded, whimpering slightly.

Zangetsu was sure that this wasn't over. But he was just Ichigo's zanpakuto, what could he do? It wasn't like he could just appear and demand of Yoruichi and Urahara what was going on with his Ichigo?

~ Over the next couple of weeks

Over the next several weeks, Ichigo couldn't put his finger on the feeling of something being wrong. But he was also dealing with his feelings over his not entirely consensual fling with Grimmjow.

It was a disturbing feeling of being dirty, and an almost insatioable itch to try and reach the amount of sensation Grimmjow had exposed him to that he got rid of by being 'easy.' He slept with Renji, he slept with Shuhei, he even made moves on Hitsugaya and when the white haired captain said something rude, he ended up in the janitor's closet at school with Uryu.

"I don't get it Ichigo, are you addicted to being a fag or did somebody…" Keigo was hauled back by the collar by Mizuiro.

They were up on the rooftop eating lunch, just the guys. Sado was out sick with the flu. Uryu was running late because one of the girls from the arts and crafts club had run out of an out of circulation Noro Kureyon. So he was showing her how to bid for yarn on e-bay.

Which left Ichigo with Dumb and Dumber and a boy who ran a serious risk of getting multiple women convicted of statutory rape with his unusual interest in older females.

"Look, I just had a rough time with this guy from out of town and it wasn't entirely his fault either."

"How is it not his fault?"

"He was drugged by his boss."

"Man, that's like something out of a twisted yaoi fangirl's fantasy fic!" Keigo scowled. "I mean, drugging a man so he sleeps with some teenager? How twisted!"

Ichigo flushed. "Well, its not somebody that I don't entirely dislike. I'm just sorting things out okay?"

"Well if you're gay Ichigo, you aren't necessarily alone. My older cousin up in Shinjuku he's the head of his local gay rights league. Our school has one too, but its Club President is…" Mizuiro gulped, pointing down to the tree in the school grounds where Chizuru was hanging off of Orihime, little hearts in her eyes.

"you're kidding me."

"Yeah, she scares more gay guys away from that club than she attracts." Mizuiro shuddered.

Ichigo sighed in disgust. "And orihime is just letting her fondle them."

"Orihime is very tolerant." Mizuiro said cheerfully. "You know Ichigo, if you're having trouble picking one guy to stick with, unlike Keigo I totally understand. I see so many lovely ladies I can't just stay with one of them!"

"one day you're going to get an STD." Ichigo grumbled.

"So are you. You /are/ using a condom with all those guys right?"

"I /know/ them." Ichigo growled. "you hardly know all the women you seduce. And if you don't get an STD you're going to get somebody in trouble for sleeping with a sixteen year old boy who looks like he's three years younger."

"You really can't accuse me of anything. Did you see how Rukia's older brother looked at you when he dropped off that bunny pez dispenser thing she forgot to bring with her?" Rukia had forgotten Chappy. Byakuya had brought it over to her.

In Mizuiro's opinion, Byakuya had the hots for Ichigo. He'd been talking to Rukia, and watching Ichigo. And the jealous look on his face when Renji pounced Ichigo midway through the conversation and tugged him away for yet another oral tryst in the janitor's closet could have curdled milk!

"No, how was he looking at me?"

"Like he wanted to drag you away somewhere and jump you. HEY! You're not talking about him are you? He's not the one that got drugged?"

"NO." Ichigo glared. "It was… this guy from out of town."

For some reason, Ichigo was starting to feel hot, and flustered. Even the hyperactive Keigo was starting to look good right now. And the smug expression on Mizuiro's face was getting him angry right then.

"Huh, hey Ichigo, what's wrong with your face?" Keigo asked.

"/MY/ face, have you looked in a mirror lately you're such a sap."

"He's not joking Ichigo, your hair and skin are turning white!" Exclaimed Mizuiro, holding up a mirror he used to look at women behind his back in class.

Ichigo looked, and instantly he shrieked into his mind. **OGICHI!!!!!!!!!**

**I'm all hot and bothered Ichi, go drag Renji into the closet again?**

**WHATS WRONG WITH YOU??????**

**I want sex, whats wrong with you? **Ichigo was starting to get a hard on. But right then the patches of white spreading over his face, hair and body and the darkening in his eyes was scaring him much more than the erection burgeoning between his legs.

"Keigo, Mizuiro, get Renji and Rukia. Tell them its an emergency. RUN!" Ichigo growled.

And what crossed his mind right then as Keigo and Mizuiro split up to get Renji and Rukia, what Ichigo really wanted, was for Renji to be nailing him on one side, and Uryu to be sucking his dick on the other.


	5. Chapter 5

"Oh my god, Ichigo!" Rukia cried when she and Renji reached the rooftop. "ICHIGO!" Ichigo didn't blame them for their reaction, his skin had patches of white all over, his hair had gone white, his eyes gold, his chest had a hole in it. He'd partially changed into Ogichi, and the transformation was continuing. He could see his reflection in his lunchbox. Tears streamed down his cheeks. It HURT like hell.

And the inner hollow wasn't responding, Ichigo was repeatedly calling for him in his head, but he only felt a distinct sensation, a sexual arousal as keen as pain. Ogichi was curled up in a ball on the ground, writhing in a mixture of pain and pleasure.

Ichigo was sprawled on the ground in a similar posture, staring at his reflection, not willing to move. He had a throbbing, horrible hard on that wouldn't go away, no matter how hard he thought of repulsive things to try and get rid of it.

He felt Renji's large, sword calloused hands picking him up and rolling him over. Hands pulled at the shirt of his school uniform, only to pull back with a gasp when Rukia saw the hollow hole. "Don't… don't look at it…" Ichigo said numbly. "Rukia don't look at me this way..." His voice was almost a whisper. "My body hurts like hell, and every touch to my skin /burns/." He groaned.

"What happened to you?" Renji demanded.

"I dunno. Something's wrong with Ogichi, he's curled up on the ground in my inner world writhing in a mix of pain and pleasure."

"That's not the only thing experiencing pleasure." Renji teased. "You've got a boner making a tent in your school uniform."

"Just shut the hell up and get me to Urahara's." Ichigo growled.

"I'll carry him Rukia." Renji smirked, using his gikon to leave his gigai.

A few minutes later, Renji scooped Ichigo up in his arms and he and Rukia were away over the rooftop. Ichigo found himself being carried fireman style, and Renji's hand was groping his ass as they went.

"Reeeenjiiiiiiiiii."

"What is it now?"

"Your hand… is groping… my ASS. And I'm actually liking it!" Ichigo growled.

"Is it because of the fever, or whatever it is…"

"Yeah. God I need /sex./" Ichigo whined.

"Relax, we'll get you plenty of that when Urahara's had a look at you."

"I know, I'm having trouble waiting though!" Ichigo whined.

"Ichigo… Urahara told you what Zephly's little fever does right?" Rukia asked.

"Yes, he said that it makes men grow the organs to have a baby, and able to get pregnant. Rukia right now my mind is /so/ hormone maddened I don't care. There are three people right now that I want to take turns /fucking/ me until I can't move." Ichigo whined. "My body is just….. /craving/ sex. And I'd rather be locked in the Shoten for a few days with someone I /know/, risking that, then just have multiple quickies in the school bathroom with the first willing man to come along or lock myself up in my room. Urahara had me pick at least one person, preferably more than one, to have as sex partners when the fever kicks in."

"Then who…"

"Renji is one, Byakuya is two, and Uryu is three. Uryu has school, so I figure he can go to school and Renji and Byakuya can keep an eye on me during the day."

Rukia's eyes began to sparkle in delight. "you and /niisama??/" she demanded. "/AND/ renji?"

"What's with that look?" Ichigo demanded.

"Ichigoooooooo! I would be honored to have you as an inlaw! I can't wait to pick out your wedding dress."

"Are you fucking crazy? NO WAY IN HELL IM WEARING THE DRESS!" Ichigo yelled.

Renji started to laugh.

"I wanna be the flower girl!"

"WHAT IN HELL MAKES YOU THINK WE'RE GETTING MARRIED ANYWAY? I just need someone trustworthy to sleep with while my hormones are getting out of control."

Rukia pouted. "But… but… oh well, Niisama will make a great daddy."

Ichigo colored.

"But its /truuuueee/." Rukia whimpered. "And there is the off chance you'll get pregnant from this."

"Cool down Rukia." Renji told her. "Lets just see what happens alright?" He grinned. "Though I am looking forwards to this Ichigo!" He purred, stroking Ichigo's body.

They arrived at the Shoten. "So its begun, stand up a moment Ichigo." Urahara told Ichigo as he arrived.

He took in Ichigo's skin now completely white, and his hair, "Ogichi isn't in control?"

"No, he's in pain, he's not responding to me. He /is/ feeling lust, a lot of it." Most of Ichigo's body had changed while he was being carried. "This isn't permanent is it?"

"No, I don't think so. Ichigo, please lift up your shirt?"

Ichigo just wanted to find a place to lie down, and someone to take his incessant need for sex out on. He lifted his shirt just enough for Urahara to see the hole.

Urahara tsked slightly. "I've prepared a place, come on." He turned and headed for the basement. "Byakuya is on his way. It took me awhile, but I convinced him to take you up on your invitation."

"Thank you." Ichigo followed him. "I…"

"No need Ichigo. Please, just relax and let the fever take its course. You've done a lot by the soul society, even though they haven't always been kind to you, they feel that taking care of you when you need them is the least they can do in return."

The "place" Urahara had prepared was a separate spring from the normal healing hot spring, walled off by a simple pole wall and metal gate, with a small hut with no windows and a doorway open but with a cloth across the front rather than a proper door.

When he entered, the two room hut had a bathroom and a bedroom, and a kitchenette on one wall. The bed was large, a western style bed rather than the traditional eastern one. It was large enough for a four way easily, along with any number of possible positions.

Urahara left them, and Ichigo began to undress. "I want sex, and then some sleep. We'll have plenty of time to have three and four way but…"

"Yeah, better pace myself or you'll wear me out." Renji walked over to kiss Ichigo tenderly, hesitantly.

"you don't find me repulsive like this do you?"

"Repulsive, why?"

"Well look at me, I totally look like an arrancar this way. I'm all white and… I have a hole…" He blushed, embarrassed. By now Ichigo had completely transformed into Ogichi.

Renji wrapped his arms tightly around Ichigo's slender form, and it trembled in his arms. "You are fucking /gorgeous./" Renji whispered in his ear. "Let me see… all of you." He began to fumble with Ichigo's school uniform.

That was all the encouragement Ichigo needed. He hurried to remove the rest of his clothing, tossing it in a pile in the corner. He reached up, hands looping around Renji's neck as he pulled the lieutenant into a deep, passionate kiss.

There was an aherm from the doorway. Ichigo whirled.

Byakuya had been enjoying the hotsprings while he waited for them, and was standing in the doorway, clad in nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, hair still dripping slightly wet. "you didn't even wait for me?" He asked, lips quirking slightly.

"Wow… Taichou you look… /hot./" Renji's gaze was very hungry.

"Thank you Renji. Ichigo…" Ichigo let go as Byakuya approached him. "What happened to you?" His concern was evident, a hand tracing Ichigo's cheek gently.

"something's wrong with Ogichi, otherwise he…" Then Ichigo realized that Byakuya didn't know about his inner hollow. "After you… tried to kill me the first time we met, I lost my shinigami powers. But Urahara said he could restore them, the trade off was that I became a vaizard, I got an inner hollow, and could call that mask as well. It was a huge battle to learn to control him and to get him to obey me. When Zephly's fever kicked in I transformed into Ogichi and now… he's in pain, I can tell, and only half conscious. Normally if he's hurt he'd be complaining the entire way, but he's not saying anything."

Ichigo hesitantly met Byakuya's gaze.

The captain traced Ichigo's neck with his fingers, his hand straying downwards to touch the edges of the hole. Ichigo blushed in embarrassment, trembling at the reaction the gentle touch evoked in his body. His hole was extremely sensitive. Byakuya could feel how that simple touch evoked a powerful reaction in the transformed deputy.

Ichigo could almost… feel it, telegraphed down Byakuya's arms, to his hands as they traced his frame, coming to rest on his hips. Just by his touch… Ichigo felt a sudden stillness in his body, a state of receptiveness he couldn't understand, but that just made his desire intensify.

Then Renji came over to him from behind, looping his arms around Ichigo's chest, and suddenly, there was nothing else that mattered. Just these two men that he cared for and trusted and what he wanted to do with them.

"Sooooo… how do we get started?" Ichigo asked, carefully pulling on Byakuya's towel and tossing it aside.

He looked down, and nearly choked. He'd thought Renji was well hung, but Byakuya was nearly as large as Grimmjow. A foot long and easily three inches wide, and the mere sight made his cock twitch.

Byakuya watched Ichigo's face as he took in his size. And a stupidly dumb grin came over the deputy's face. "I like this…" Ichigo sniggered.

"no fair, his is bigger." Renji pouted, looping his arms around Ichigo's shoulders and peering over his shoulder.

Ichigo chuckled. "Soooo… which of you wants to go first."

The two men looked at each other. "If you let me go first, you can take me while I'm taking him." Byakuya offered, a loopy daredevil grin that Ichigo kind of liked crossing the normally cold captain's face.

Ichigo wanted so many suitors to sleep with because he was torn. There were a lot of guys that he was actually interested in. He'd met quite a few male shinigami. And then there was Uryu, the Quincy archer. He'd met so many beautiful people, and Ichigo was a very loving personality despite his gruff exterior. He was hoping that maybe, his heart, and his body, would have help him to decide, turning a normally emotionally damaging event and using it to give him some direction. His promiscuity over the past two weeks was his attempt at trying to figure out the confusion in his heart.

"Fine with me." Ichigo grinned hugely. He flopped down on the bed and started digging into the bedside drawer until he found the lubricant he was looking for. He handed it to Byakuya and arched his back, presenting his ass eagerly for the noble.

Byakuya growled, low, lusty, wrapping an arm around Ichigo's hips. A few seconds later Ichigo felt a delicate finger, soft and well manicured, pressing into his entry. He forced himself to relax, and a second finger joined the first. Soft lips caressed his lower back, the gentle, feathery kisses setting Ichigo's skin on fire.

Byakuya had handed the lubricant back to Renji, and gotten on his hands and knees as well. He felt a thick, sword calloused, lube slickened finger wend its way inside him and shivered. He hadn't had sex in 50 years after all.

Byakuya searched for Ichigo's prostate, and when he hit it it caused the deputy to moan in pleasure, and Ichigo began to tremble beneath his chin and arm. Byakuya moved to jab that sweet spot again, and could feel Renji searching for the same, when his fingers slipped, and something gave beneath them.

Another passage? An entry within an entry? Was this one of the modifications the fever had made to Ichigo's body?

Yes, it seemed that Zephly's virus had created an extra passage in Ichigo's body. Byakuya slipped his fingers deeper, pushing gently, lest he damage Ichigo accidentally.

As soon as he tried to push his finger into it, Ichigo's arms and legs buckled and he screamed in pleasure.

Byakuya was momentarily distracted when Renji found his own sweetspot, and started stroking it. He moaned, arching his back gracefully. But Byakuya's keen senses did not miss that Ichigo wriggled beneath his touch, as if Byakuya's fingers gently pushing into this new orifice were a pleasurable sensation.

Byakuya leaned into Ichigo's trembling form and hissed in his ear. "Do you feel it?"

Ichigo nodded, eyes wide and vulnerable. Byakuya kissed the back of Ichigo's neck. Whispering into his ear. "You know that was the virus making that right?" He pushed his fingers in a little deeper and Ichigo's moan of pleasure and quick nod of his head, panting.

"Its not hurting you is it?" Byakuya asked as he pushed deeper.

Ichigo shook his head. "NO it… its incredible… just that one touch is… its like my body has gone still… my insides, they feel incredible. Sooooo sensitive…"

The passage was about an inch long, and Byakuya felt around with the fingers he'd pushed in, his fingers had found something wet, and warm, more like the passageway of a woman than a man.

Byakuya then realized how Zephly intended to get his targets impregnated during their "fever" as Ichigo and the others had taken to calling this state of total lust. Not only could sperm get through that hole, Byakuya could easily stick his length /right/ through it.

If he wanted to snare Ichigo, and the Kuchiki noble was intent on using this incident as a chance to claim Ichigo as /his/, slipping into this passageway would give his seed a better chance of taking. If Ichigo got pregnant with /his/ child, he might have a better chance of taking the deputy as /his./ And Ichigo was /loving/ his fingers in him. He could use this.

"Taiiiiichouuuu…" Renji jolted Byakuya out of his curiosity.

Byakuya nodded. "I'm moving." He slid his fingers out, a small smirk on his face. He positioned himself outside Ichigo's entrance. He hissed in Ichigo's ear. "I /want/ you, Ichigo Kurosaki. With every fiber of my being."

He pushed the first inch in, pushing past the initial ring of muscle and pausing briefly. A second inch, a third… THERE! He changed his angle abruptly, and was rewarded by Ichigo's scream of pleasure as his dick slid inside the passage he'd found. Ichigo lost his balance and fell to the mattress, Byakuya losing his balance and landing on top of him. Ichigo screamed again, not in pain, in absolute ecstasy!

The two had an intense moment, Ichigo turning his head to look at Byakuya, eyes glazed over in lust.

And the mixed sensations Byakuya got from his full length hilted in Ichigo's body. Right through the passage Zephly's virus created and straight into what Byakuya was quite sure was Ichigo's womb. The warmth and tightness natural to Ichigo's body was driving him mad, and then there was the heated core the last six inches of his dick was buried in.

Byakuya moaned in pleasure and looped his arms around Ichigo's waist. Byakuya began to suck on the skin of the back of Ichigo's neck. Ichigo groaned at the other's ministrations. "Renji… now…" Byakuya husked.

He relaxed his body as best he could. Renji wasn't as long as he was, but his dick certainly had girth. Byakuya arched his back, mouth open in the soft gasps that were his exultations of pleasure.

Renji all but purred in his ear, clearly enjoying what they were doing. He began to delicately thread his hands through Byakuya's hair, gently tugging on the soft, ebony locks, his other hand wandering Byakuya's body. "Damn… Taichou you're so beautiful when you finally relax."

"When we are being intimate Renji, you may, and will, call me by my name." Byakuya paused in his leaving hickies on Ichigo's neck. "You too." He husked in Ichigo's ear. "I want to hear my name from those beautiful lips." His tongue licked at Ichigo's ear, ghosting along the skin.

Ichigo shivered beneath his touch. "Move Renji." Byakuya growled, he purposefully squeezed around Renji's girth, eliciting a hiss from the red head. "Call my name?"

"B… Byakuya…" Renji sputtered.

"That's better." Byakuya kissed his way delicately along Ichigo's throat.

Ichigo hissed, trembling in pleasure in the Noble's grip. Ichigo tugged Byakuya's head down to kiss him. This was so… completely unlike the icy nobleman that Ichigo thought he knew. The daredevil grin, the intense, possessive, almost dirty talk in his ear. And yet, he could feel it in Byakuya's reiatsu, and telegraphed from his heart, down his arms, into his hands that encircled Ichigo's waist.

Byakuya wanted him, cared for him deeply, he was acting possessive to stake his claim. He wanted Ichigo, to the point where he was almost ignoring Renji and focusing just on him. Byakuya definitely had some kind of plan, and the little orgy the fever had lead him to have was not the last he would see of Byakuya. The intensity in the Noble's reiatsu was all for him.

Renji pulled out a bit, then thrust in, and Byakuya did the same, and his erection sawing in and out of that one passage sent Ichigo's world spiraling into bliss. The small, inch wide passage had a /lot/ of nerve endings in them. And the sensation was very different from that of his prostate being hit.

Ichigo screamed in pleasure, writhing in Byakuya's arms. A sharp nip to Ichigo's shoulder made him yip. Byakuya arched his back, near silent, but his increasingly sensual reiatsu and soft gasps told Ichigo that the nobleman was enjoying this just as much as he was.

Byakuya, before he had married Hisana, had loved having three ways. He liked to be in the middle for the sheer joy of taking and being taken at once. His world was hazy at the moment, but he could feel Ichigo's body heaving in pleasure beneath him. Byakuya wanted to say something dirty, to hiss words of dominance in the deputy's ear. But words escaped him, and so Byakuya used his hands to communicate, stroking, groping, kneading at his skin.

Renji was enjoying the experience as well… "B… Bya… kuya…" He gasped. Byakuya grinned, he was /definitely/ having an effect on Renji.

Renji was in absolute heaven. The fact that Byakuya had temporarily lost his icy demeanor and was actually acting possessive of Ichigo was absolutely amazing to him. However, he was just a bit jealous. Even in the throws of passion, Byakuya was all for Ichigo. HE wanted Ichigo. Ichigo was /his./

And then Renji reached his peak, yelling Byakuya's name as he came. Byakuya's body heaved under Renji's, arching elegantly with that soft gasp of his.

Byakuya was close, so close, just on the tipping point. His thrusts became frantic, wanting to bring Ichigo over the edge with him. Then he remembered that Ichigo's hole, in this body, was extremely sensitive. "Sing for me Ichigo…" He husked in Ichigo's ear, then he pushed his fingers boldly into Ichigo's hollow hole and stroked the edge.

Ichigo groaned, arching his back to meet Byakuya's thrusts. He was completely lost in pleasure, spiraling higher and higher. He didn't want to come down, he wanted the pleasure to last forever.

And then Byakuya was whispering in his ear, his fingers intimately stroking the sensitive skin around the inside of his hole, and something inside of Ichigo's stomach snapped. He screamed in pleasure, writhing and bucking beneath Byakuya. Byakuya thrust in one last time, and Ichigo felt his seed searing into his stomach, once, twice, again. Ichigo's body trembled around Byakuya's erection. The sensation was so… incredibly…. Deliciously good. The feel of Byakuya's dick in the new passage way and the feel of his fluids heating his insides.

Then Renji was rolling away from Byakuya, and Byakuya withdrew from Ichigo's body. His hand lingered, gripping the edge of his hole and making Ichigo shiver. Ichigo rolled over, turning around and gently, reluctantly pulling Byakuya's hand away.

But Ichigo arranged himself just as quickly so that Renji was on one side, and Byakuya on the other. Then he arranged them both so that their heads rested on his chest. That was about all the strength Ichigo had, before he fell asleep and didn't wake up until Uryu arrived that evening.


	6. Chapter 6

Ichigo developed a pattern over the next two days, while Uryu was at school, he'd alternate between having sex with Renji, and having sex with Byakuya. Then Uryu would come home from school, Byakuya and Renji would eat and bathe and Ichigo would try to get Uryu to pay more attention to him while they had sex. Even in his fever state, Ichigo could tell that Uryu was more interested in Renji than in him.

One of the perks that Uryu could offer however, was an extremely talented mouth. Despite his inexperience with sex, Uryu gave head like a far more experienced partner. While Ichigo was physically craving the Quincy's dick buried in his ass, he couldn't deny how talented Uryu was with his mouth.

Then Uryu would take a break to do his homework, Ichigo would take a bath, eat something, and take a nap until about sevenish. Then the four of them would have sex all together as a four way. And then Uryu and Renji would pass out on the large bed, curled up with each other, and Ichigo had Byakuya all to himself.

Byakuya would scoop him up and carry him out to the massage table next to the hot spring and give Ichigo the most glorious massage and delicate (and hot) foreplay before they had sex on and off for a few hours. Then Ichigo would pass out on the massage table and Byakuya would carry him back to the bed in the hut, and Ichigo would snuggle up against him. Byakuya was pleased as well that Uryu seemed to be fawning over Renji, and desperately trying to get as much time with the redhead to himself as he could. Soon, Uryu would decide to take Renji away, and his worries about his lieutenant ruining his chances of snaring his berry with him.

Ichigo was stuck trying to decipher Byakuya's behavior. He couldn't quite get it. Byakuya would act dominating and possessive when they were together in a group with Renji and Uryu. But when they were alone he was so gentle, so relaxed. Even when Byakuya was acting possessive of him he could feel it in the tips of his fingers, telegraphed from Byakuya's heart, into his arms, down to his hands where he touched Ichigo's body.

Byakuya was used to courting people in the fashion that rich people typically did, by showering them with gifts, sweeping someone off their feet with a grand romantic gesture. When he was engaged to Hisana the two of them had a romantic getaway to celebrate, using the clan's personal senkaimon gates to take her anywhere she wanted to go. Anywhere. No matter how far away from Japan. This was, of course, before Hisana had become sick.

Byakuya was in a situation where grand romantic gestures and expensive, thoughtful gifts wouldn't work. Ichigo didn't want gifts, he wanted sex. And Ichigo thought he detected a faint amount of insecurity when Byakuya was around both him, Renji and Uryu.

On the third night, Byakuya scooped Ichigo up in his arms and carried him out to the massage table. Ichigo wrapped his arms around Byakuya's neck. Byakuya laid Ichigo down on the table, like the past few nights. But this time Ichigo sat up, and pulled Byakuya to sit down next to him on the padded massage table with him and curled up in his lap. "We need to talk. And you need to cool it around the other two."

"Cool it?" Byakuya questioned.

"When you and I are alone, you act completely different from when we're in there with them. You act dominant, possessive, like you're marking your territory. Do you know why I asked for multiple partners? Byakuya?"

"No."

"I asked for multiple partners because there were three different people I had... some amount of attraction to. And I couldn't bring myself to choose just /one/ person. My heart is too big for just one person. And when Urahara told me what was happening I was /scared./ I wanted someone who could make me feel secure. I've dedicated myself to protecting the town, my classmates, and the shinigami who I consider to be some of my best friends in the world. The only people who really, truly understand me. I wanted someone who could do some of the protecting for once. With whom I could match my paces in battle. Could cuddle with. Could have some physical human contact with." Ichigo groaned, rubbing his body against Byakuya's and wrapped his arms around his shoulders and buried his face in Byakuya's chest. "Uryu seems to be pining after Renji. And once Renji realizes that Uryu wants him so badly I won't have any chance with him. Uryu will be all that he can see. You have no competition. And I'm tired of the dominating, possessive attitude. I want to see the gentle you. The you that you show when we're alone." Ichigo caressed Byakuya's cheek, then reached out to stroke his hair. "That is what attracts me, not shows of raw machismo."

"I see." Byakuya wrapped his arms around Ichigo. "This... situation, is beyond what I'm normally used to dealing with. I prefer to romance my partners Ichigo." He reached out, gently kissing the orange haired shinigami, showing the gentleness that Ichigo loved so much. A faint smile crossed his face when Ichigo responded. "Ichigo, I'm not used to... multiple partners. And I'm used to... romancing someone I wish to court, with romantic gestures and gifts. I like to sweep a partner off my feet. You're giving off such a raw... primal... energy right now that I don't know how to cope with." He could feel that Ichigo had a raging hard on, Ichigo kept rubbing it against his thigh, and Byakuya's body began to respond. "Its part of why I haven't entirely warmed towards Renji. Its that raw lust. I'm not used to it." Byakuya said quietly, caressing Ichigo's side. "I'm the kind who would prefer to sweep you off your feet, I just want you. I don't want the other two." Byakuya growled softly.

Ichigo was having some serious difficulty fighting the lust that was clawing its way up from his soul. "Then sweep me off my feet." Ichigo leaned in to husk in his ear. Byakuya groaned. He could feel the control Ichigo had been showing start to decay.

In an instant, Byakuya was flat on his back on the massage table, and Ichigo was kneeling between his legs, licking his lips eagerly as he leaned in and took Byakuya's dick in his mouth. Byakuya groaned, as Ichigo strained to pull as much of his erection as he could into his mouth, sucking, hollowing his cheeks, swallowing Byakuya's throbbing member until it was hilted in his throat and Byakuya was helpless to do anything but moan and buck and call Ichigo's name.

And then Ichigo was pulling back, climbing on top of Byakuya's powerful body. In an instant Ichigo was on his back, Byakuya lifting his legs to his shoulders. Byakuya rummaged in a basket underneath the massage table until he found a small jar of massage oil. He scooped up some of the massage oil on his fingers, then pushed his first two into Ichigo's unresisting entrance. Ichigo kept his eyes on Byakuya, unable to look away.

Byakuya was encouraged, and by twisting his fingers he was able to reach the newest sensitive spot inside Ichigo's body. When his fingers slipped into the entry way Ichigo squealed, his vision going as white as if Byakuya had hit his prostate.

Byakuya was ready to go missionary, but instead when he removed his fingers Ichigo sat up, and slipped into his lap. "I want to be held in your arms. Please." He begged softly.

Byakuya smiled, a small, tender expression on a face unused to doing so. "Yes, here." He wrapped his arms around Ichigo, and Ichigo looped his own around Byakuya's neck and positioned himself above Byakuya's erection. Ichigo took a deep breath, and dropped down, impaling himself on Byakuya's member. After all the sex Ichigo had had, doing so didn't hurt. Ichigo snuggled his face in the hollow of Byakuya's throat, reaching up to suck on the skin, leaving a hicky before reaching down and over to take one of the Kuchiki captain's nipples in his mouth and sucking on it, flicking it with his tongue.

Byakuya gasped, his cock twitched where he was buried in Ichigo's body. His grip tightened, and Byakuya began to thrust. The angle wasn't one he could use to enter the womb created by Zephly's virus, but it didn't matter. Byakuya had won. He didn't need to compete with Renji or Uryu anymore. Even if the child turned out not to be his, he'd have another chance to sire.

Ichigo groaned. Using Byakuya's shoulders as leverage to thrust downwards. Soft whimpering noises bubbled up from his throat, and he reached up to kiss Byakuya passionately, demandingly. Byakuya hit Ichigo's prostate, and Ichigo howled in pleasure and started to buck. Byakuya grabbed Ichigo's dick, and began to pump it, his fingers playing Ichigo's member like an instrument.

It didn't take long for Ichigo to scream in pleasure, his head arching back. His body thrust down one more time, hilting Byakuya in his body as the Noble came, hard. Ichigo clung to his body, flat against his chest and felt Byakuya cum once, twice, three times, before he finally went still. Ichigo groaned, snuggling into his koi's chest. Byakuya buried his face in Ichigo's normally orange hair turned white. "I am... truly... grateful that you chose me." Byakuya mumbled. "I am a proud person, and not an easy mate to get along with, but I appreciate you. I care about you. I want you and no one else."

"Thank you." Ichigo said drowsily into his chest. "I want you too, and I will match my steps with yours, my blade will be your shield."

"And mine yours." Byakuya husked.

"And I will love you well." Ichigo purred.

Byakuya opened his eyes, ready to slip into the hot tub to clean up. His face was still buried in Ichigo's hair when he opened his eyes. At first what he was seeing didn't register. Then he gasped, there were patches of orange in the white, and some kind of white stuff forming around Ichigo's hole, as if it were a wound healing over. "Ichigo..."

"Hmmm?"

"Your hair, its got orange bits in it."

"WHAT?????" Ichigo shrieked, he pulled away, scooting back a few paces and started to pat himself over. Byakuya grinned, a huge, dumb, giddy grin. Ichigo had patches of tan skin covering the Ogichi white. "I'm changing back! I'm changing BACK!" Ichigo cried, throwing his arms around Byakuya.

That was when Ogichi woke up. Zangetsu had put him to sleep to minimize his suffering from the fever. **!!!!!! **Ogichi roared. **What the hell are you doing putting me out!!! HOW LONG WAS I ASLEEP?????**

**Three days.**

**WHAT THE HELL???? I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL THE OLD MAN! I COULD HAVE HAD TAIL!**

**Uh, Ogichi, how do I change my body back, it changed a little but now its stuck. **

**Oh thats easy, call my mask once. Leave it for about a minute, and then dispell it. **

"Byakuya, Ogichi just woke up. Rather loudly. He says if I call my mask for about a minute, then dispel it it will change me back to normal."

"Go ahead and try it."

Ichigo nodded, holding his hand up to his face. Byakuya watched, curious to see the process close up. Slowly, slowly, the plain, striped mask formed over Ichigo's face. The whites of his eyes slowly turned black. Byakuya gazed into their ebony depths, with no fear and some amount of fascination. Ichigo carefully tilted the mask up so that it rested on the top of his head.

"You can remove your vaizard mask?"

"Yup, when she was training me Hiyori wore hers on the side of her face. And Shinji did too."

"Who?"

"There's a troop of vaizard down in the warehouse district, they're the ones who taught me how to use my vaizard mask. Shinji said he'd teach me how to cero if I could keep my mask up for over an hour. But then all this happened."

Byakuya couldn't tear his gaze away from Ichigo's eyes, the sienna had turned to gold, and the black was unusual enough that Byakuya was transfixed. Ichigo was counting the seconds, then he noticed Byakuya staring. "What?"

"Your eyes are... very pretty that way." Byakuya hesitated. The white was retreating from Ichigo's hair and skin.

"You aren't scared?"

"No." Byakuya reached out to stroke Ichigo's face, just as the last of the white coloring disappeared. The hole began to close over, healing into pristine skin. "Why would I be scared of my own lover?" He asked, cupping Ichigo's cheek. The last of the hole disappeared.

"I'm glad. I was worried, from the lewd comments Ogichi kept making any time sex came up, I was worried he might try to drive whoever I was with away." He sighed, "Now what do we do?"

"Now, we wait. And we do things that normal couples do." Byakuya replied. "And try to make a life with each other."

"Sounds good to me, we can start by getting cleaned up, and then I want to go home. I'll leave a note for Renji and Uryu and they can have the hut to themselves. Tomorrow all the teachers are doing training classes. So we have a day off in the middle of the week. We can sleep late. Though I am gonna need rest from anything... too sensual." Ichigo chuckled.

"I'm all worn out for at least a week or so." Byakuya rolled his eyes a little. "I'll carry you home if you're tired."

"awww, how sweet." Ichigo chuckled.

Byakuya picked up his gigai on the way back, and an hour later, Ichigo was curled up in his own bed with Byakuya at his side. He figured that that tomorrow was as good a time as any to introduce his sisters to his new lover.

He should have checked his closet.

* * *

The next day Isshin was about to pounce his returned son when he realized there was someone else in bed with him. Isshin figured Ichigo had come out of the fever Urahara had told him about and returned home with Renji. He blinked, when not a head of red hair, but a head of black hair greeted his curiosity. Ichigo hadn't been with Renji? Then who...

The glittering Kensaiken on the bedside table almost made Isshin CHOKE. Ichigo had bedded a KUCHIKI????? Holy shit!

Isshin was not so happy with the choice his son had made, he hadn't raised his son to be a shinigami, and he certainly hadn't raised him to take a noble sugar daddy.

Isshin snuck out, muttering something about Rukia being the only Kuchiki he wanted hanging around the house.

Kon pushed the drawer open, and seeing the long black hair on the bed next to Ichigo he automatically assumed he'd brought home a girl. "ooooooooh, Ichigo had company last night! And he came home late! I wonder... does his girlfriend have glorious mountains?" Kon scurried over to the bed and climbed up onto the pillow. "It won't hurt just to have a peek." He peered over Byakuya's shoulder to find a flat, hard, muscular. "!" Kon screamed.

Byakuya stirred, grabbed Kon by the face. "Shut up and let me sleep." Kon flailed, waving his little arms and legs. "If you wake Ichigo up, I will have senbonzakura slice you open and I will pull the stuffing out a little at a time, with your pill still in your plushie."

Byakuya let go of Kon. "I think I was safer being dressed up by Yuzu!" Kon wailed as he ran out the door, down the hall to the twins room. He leapt into the pile of stuffed toys and burrowed to the bottom, clawing at his eyes. "I've been TRAUMATIZED!"

A few minutes later, Rukia, who had slept soundly through Byakuya and Ichigo's entry through the window, and had been awakened by Kon, yawned, stretched, and opened the door to the closet. She blinked, blinked, blinked. She'd expected Ichigo to come home with Renji. And to not be home for another two or three days. And he came home EARLY with NIISAMA?

"OH. MY. GOD." Rukia gawked.

Ichigo groaned, stirring slightly. Byakuya had fallen asleep again after Kon left and was out like a light. The first thing he saw was Rukia staring at him. "huuuuuuuuuuuuuuh?" He couldn't really process what was happening. "OH. MY. GOD. RUKIA OUT!" He hissed, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at her. The pillow fell very short, and Ichigo's face turned beet red before she nodded slowly, and shuffled down the stairs. "damnit, now Niisama will insist I stay somewhere other than the closet."

It was another two hours of cuddling and kissing, both of them nekkid and with Ichigo getting as much skin contact as he could get from the noble, before Ichigo finally felt inclined to get up. When he did, he and Byakuya showered, dressed, and Ichigo turned. "By now the entire house probably knows I brought home a guy. They're all used to Rukia being around and Yuzu and Karin already treat her like an older sister, its okay to introduce yourself as her older brother. I think Karin already knows about shinigami, she said that Hitsugaya hung out with her and her friends at the playground sometimes, well, she called him "toushiro-kun" so I'm guessing he's using a cover. But she can see ghosts and she can definitely see shinigami. Nine times out of ten she ignores them. There's also Kon to contend with. Kon is the mod soul I use, and he's got a horrible attitude. He also has a fetish for girls with big boobs. I think the only girl he doesn't try to launch himself at that has a small... er... busom... is Rukia. He's crazy over her because she rescued him from being taken back by Urahara and destroyed."

Byakuya nodded. "I will keep... all that in mind." His gigai had been dressed in a simple black suit and a pink tie with cherry blossom designs on it, and Byakuya tried to smooth it out when he finished dressing. Ichigo pulled on one of his more expensive shirts and chuckled at the tie. Byakuya picked up the kensaiken and started carefully plating it into his hair. Ichigo reached up to kiss his koi gently on the lips as he finished.

It didn't take as long as Ichigo thought it would to get the kensaiken back on. Then he held out his hand to Byakuya. Byakuya took it, that faint, not used to smiling smile on his face. The two walked down the stairs to find breakfast already ready. Yuzu had outdone herself, when she heard that Ichigo had brought home a boy. She had coffee, cream, sugar, cinnamon and bitter cocoa powder already out and was frying a western style breakfast with pancakes, eggs, and bacon. "ICHIGOOOOOO! I heard you brought home a date, so I made an extra yummy breakfast!" Yuzu squealed, tackling Ichigo across the room.

Ichigo chuckled, hugging his sister when she insisted on clinging to him. "Yes, I did, I was away with him for a few days and we didn't get back until everyone had gone to sleep. You weren't worried were you?"

"I was REALLY worried! But Rukia said you'd gone out of town for a few days with that Renji guy thats always hanging around here."

"er... Renji and Uryu... er..."

"you mean that glasses guy at your school who makes such cute stuffed toys???" Yuzu pouted. "Ooooooooh... that means Renji dumped you didn't he?"

"No Yuzu, he didn't do that. Renji and I weren't officially together. We were just getting some... relief... he was free to pair off with whomever he wanted. Now can I introduce my boyfriend?"

"uhuh, i'm sorry I was so worried."

"Karin, Yuzu, this is Byakuya Kuchiki, he's Rukia's older brother."

"Oh. My. God. You didn't just bring home an older guy you brought home Rukia's brother? That seems kind of dodgy to me seeing as Rukia was sleeping in your closet."

"Which she won't be doing if I have my way." Byakuya eyed his sister.

"But I like that closet!" Rukia whined, "Its cozy!"

"I won't have my sister sleeping in a closet and I won't be interrupted or spied on when I'm with my koibito."

"You know now that I think about it, that suit looks kind of rich. You aren't keeping him as a sugar daddy are you Ichinii? I'd be disappointed if you did."

"He's NOT a sugar daddy. I plan on being with Byakuya for a very long time." Ichigo pulled Byakuya down into a possessive kiss.

"You know, you're under age Ichigo. If I wanted to I could get your boyfriend in very deep trouble." Isshin said quietly. "You need my blessing. And he's going to have to prove how much he loves you for that to happen."

Ichigo blinked, turning wide eyes on his father. He'd get Byakuya in trouble? Why would his father NOT approve?

"I need to have a talk with you both before you eat." Isshin got up, motioning for Ichigo and Byakuya to follow.

Ichigo and Byakuya followed Isshin into one of the clinic's exam rooms. "I didn't raise my son to be a shinigami, I let him do it because things just seemed to happen, and people needed him to protect them. And maybe he could change the seireitei, one stuckup inflexible stick in the mud at a time. But I sure as hell didn't raise him to be a noble's pet, let alone the boytoy of a Kuchiki."


	7. Chapter 7

Notes: I CANT BELIEVE THE REVIEWS I GOT!

Haruko Harahara needs to meet the Doctor. And drive him up a rope until he screams. "NO MOOOOOOOOOOOOREEE PLEAAAAASEEE! GOD LADY YOURE CRAZIER THAN I AM! RUN JACK WE GOTTA GET OUTTA HERE! BACK TO THE TARDIS AND BOLT THE DOOR!" You know, I heard about Fooly Cooly and Cowboy Beebop in high school, but i never got to see them until I was grown up. It sucks doesn't it? But I was listening to the soundtrack for FLCL since High school. I snatched up up from a co worker at the pizza place I worked at and ripped it to my computer. But I got in trouble. He said I could borrow it at the workplace, but I thought he meant I could take it home.

It looks like I might have another hit. Alright, i'd better not leave you hanging.

I normally reply to reviews that offer a critique or constructive opinions by pm or review reply. But I got an anonymous critique in my mail bag so I'm going to reply to it here...

_-wipes tears from eyes- This story is hilarious! Oh man, I haven't laughed so_

_hard in a while. I just love how ridiculously silly everyone is, its amazing!_

_Ichigo takes the cake though, he's a regular nymphomaniac. So many crazy sex_

_scenes! I'm sure many fangirls with low standards are extremely happy. :D It's_

_very enjoyable._

_On a more serious note, you're a fine writer (grammar, spelling, ideas), its_

_just your depictions of characters are shallow, so their actions seem a bit_

_spastic, unrealistic, and sometimes just weird (though hilarious). Also, you_

_should try to work on your pacing, the plot events just fly by. Which is sad_

_because some of them are honestly interesting. Don't skip through them! :3_

_This review wasn't meant as a harsh critique, but observations on the state of_

_the story, it's readers, and places for improvement. And like with all_

_opinion, please feel free to ignore, destroy, or send wrath my way. After all_

_I'm just a stranger on the internet, what do I know?_

_Thanks for the giggles!_

Well first of all, I love laughs, but that wasn't what I was going for. I wanted something gritty. That said, I think I do humor pretty well.

Nymphomaniac Ichigo, well, he kinda strikes me as being potentially nympho. But look at the summary, it says Ichigo gets a shock to the system. And his being so nympho was due partially to the fever, but also partially because his feelings about his encounter with Grimmjow are very intense. Ichigo enjoyed Grimmjow's company, but when Grimmjow first snatched him up he was terrified. Ichigo wasn't even certain he wanted to be with Grimmjow. But he understood that Grimmjow didn't have much control over himself and so while he's angry about it and confused about it he's also kind of pitying Grimmjow for what he did. Basically his being nympho was in reaction to Grimmjow. He was trying to sort out his feelings about the matter.

I wrote the characters as being a little shallow yes. Like I said, I wanted gritty. I love deepness. I value deepness. I place a high value on a significant, thoughtful existance. I was TORMENTED by your stereotypical shallow female bully in middle and elementary school and they pretty much traumatized me. So to me, ideal and warm is deep and meaningful. Shallow is gritty.

My grammer, spelling, ideas ecetera are my natural talent with writing. I took five years of creative writing classes and my grammer and spelling are mostly alright but they're learned by rote. My ideas are a natural talent however. I have a talent for creating concepts and making them detailed and workable.

I am struggling with the pacing, I truly am. I don't want this fic to turn into another Heartsbond and the one shortcoming of mPreg is that it tends to be very, very long. I love HB, and the two one shots that go with it. But DAYUM. I don't need two of them going at once. So I'm probably going to skip a few weeks of time between each chapter. Expect a fanfic that is going to move /fast./ I might even take the Age of Empires three approach to story telling. Which I'll splain.

One of my favorite series of games is age of empires and age of mythology. And the campaign modes offer a story. Age of Mythology was like a combination novel and traditional hero myth. But it was one long continuous campaign with no change of story, no change of setting or characters. Age of empires iii was different. The campaigns told the family history of an old fictitious American family called the Blacks and their struggle with an evil organization and cult called "the circle of ossus" over the fountain of youth. It has three separate campaigns, three seperate acts, which change both your home city and your shipment deck each act. I love my shipment deck! Its entirely an economics deck. Only a couple of military cards. I play a strong economic game that focuses on taking the trade route early and splitting the map in half so that the enemies are under continuous fire if they try to get through. It was annoying enough with AoE 3 and AoE 3 the warchiefs, but when Asian Dynasties switched between three different civilizations and reset the home city and my precious deck each time it was all I could bear not to scream in frustration!

In other words, I may break the story up into acts if it gets too long. All the acts will be under the same story. But they'll have large bits of time in between them. For example once everyone's together and whoever's pregnant finds out (Ichigo will not be the only one, remember Ulq and Grimmjow?), I may just do a chapter for each month and then move to the next act.

Enough with the massive flow of text and ideas, I've left you all hanging long enough. 333

* * *

Ichigo's jaw dropped, his mind not even comprehending. How could his father, who was so stupid and dumb, not only know enough about the soul society's dodgy history with the rights of other beings (which even he had to admit was wrong, but had mostly been blamed on the chamber of 46, which was now gone), but that he knew enough about their social structure to decide he didn't want his son dating a Noble or that he even knew his son was a shinigami. And wait a minute? His father didn't want him to be a shinigami? Then WHY THE FUCK HADNT HE SAID ANYTHING?

Ichigo staggered back, recoiling into Byakuya's arms and staring at his father in horror. Isshin saw the look on his son's face, and Ichigo immediately saw the flicker in his eyes that meant that what he was saying made him feel bad to say, but he felt it had to happen and he knew, even horrified as he was that there was something wrong here.

Isshin sighed, feeling that something visual would help Ichigo's confusion. He pulled out his gikon, his very trusty Yuki the duck, and popped it in his mouth. Isshin was immediately ejected from his gigai, something that Ichigo would have seen a hundred times before.

Ichigo turned pale, there was a ruined, tattered, captain's haori around his father's waist, hanging around his hips somewhat like Yamamoto sometimes wore his own when he got into a fight. His father hadn't chucked the upper half though, just the outer coat. "Oh. My. God. Dad?" Ichigo's face reflected shock, horror, and fear, exactly what Isshin had worried about if he came out to Ichigo as an ex captain. "Dad... what... why...?"

"I couldn't take it anymore. I started to hate my job right after the Quincy massacre, and when Urahara and Yoruichi left the soul society I had no reason to want to stay. I loved them far more than I loved the Seireitei. And I couldn't take the Chamber of 46 constantly turning on its own people and other spiritual beings. It made me SICK. So yes, I left. And I'm very grateful to Yamamoto for helping me to escape."

"Yamamoto helped you /escape?/" Pause. "Wait, you're gay?"

"Bi, Ichigo... before I met your mother I was head over heals in love with Urahara. After I met your mother, she understood that I was bi, and as a woman, and a human she couldn't provide the same sort of attention a man and a shinigami could. She would have continued to let me see Kisuke on the side, but when Masaki got pregnant with you, Urahara put an end to it, he didn't want me to get distracted in my responsibilities. So I'm not upset with you for being gay, your sexual orientation doesn't matter to me."

"The one person who would have ratted me out if he'd found out Yamamoto was helping me to escape was Byakuya's grandfather, Ginrei Kuchiki. The sixth division is kind of like the shinigami rat squad (1) and if he'd found out I'd have been in big trouble and Yamamoto wouldn't have his job anymore. Ginrei and I had been FIGHTING since day one. He isn't that bad a guy, we just DIDNT mix. He hated me. I was a mongrel, and irresponsible, and annoying and he made my captaincy miserable every day. The only truly bold thing Ginrei Kuchiki ever did in his life was wear his kensaiken on his pubic hair." Byakuya bristled. "He wore it in the Onsen, which is how I know. I didn't do anything bad to find out." (2)

"So you don't want me to date Byakuya because you have a beef with his grandfather? Dad that is SO lame and STUPID!" Ichigo yelled.

"No Ichigo, thats just the FIRST reason why. Now listen to me. Urahara has kept me up to date with what is going on. I know about the fever and I know you were having difficulty making some decisions and that Grimmjow hurt you, BADLY. You would have had every amount of sympathy if you'd gone to me and told me what he'd done to you rather than going straight to Kisuke for help, and I'm GLAD you're willing to trust him, he's one of the few reasons why I let you keep being a shinigami rather than stepping in, because I knew he'd watch your back and HELP YOU if you needed it. I didn't approve of you being a shinigami at first, I did not raise my children to be sacrificed on the Seireitei company altar."

"Is that why, I could see spirits?" Ichigo looked from Byakuya to Isshin.

"yes." Byakuya said quietly. "I wondered about that, I wounded you in your soul chain and soul sleep the first time we met in battle. If Rukia had been the source of your shinigami powers, you wouldn't have been able to recover your powers, let alone master shikai and bankai. From a standpoint of spiritual anatomy, it should have been impossible. Having a family member with bankai tends to increase the chances of being able to obtain one."

"It also means that Karin and Yuzu could become shinigami as well. Karin could easily follow the same route that you did. She has the potential. It could easily have been her going out to save the soul society and not you if she and Yuzu had been born first and you were the younger sibling and Rukia had found her instead of you. And she could easily go bankai as well when she's MUCH older." Isshin sighed. "Yuzu likely won't become a shinigami until after she dies and is konso'd."

Ichigo was having trouble taking all this in. Byakuya's arms were tightly encircling his waist or he'd have fainted by now.

"But why don't you want me to be with Byakuya, I LOVE him, and if I truly do get pregnant from what happened, then he'd be able to help. And yeah, Renji pulls in a salary too. But Uryu was sighing over Renji, I wasn't going to ruin my friendship with him by trying to coax Renji into staying with me when Byakuya was tripping over himself to get my interest."

"Because he's a NOBLE. Ichigo the nobles live the same way their ancestors did in the Edo period. They're VERY strict. They're the same as some of America's higher end conservative catholic and republican factions. They don't believe in the right to choose, or birth control, though I highly doubt Byakuya has anything as far as infections and i'm not worried about you catching anything from him it means that if that baby /is/ his, you won't have any choice in the matter. They won't let you abort it. And if you decide to make it a serious relationship, odds are the only reason the Kuchiki elders won't say "absolutely not!" is because you can bear Byakuya an heir to the clan. Byakuya KNOWS this. He's still willing to risk your safety, and your freedom, and possibly your life, its rare but people STILL die in child birth. You know that right Ichigo? I trust Kisuke and Retsu to take care of you, but you could end up sacrificing your /body/. Which would mean you'd become a shinigami full time. Entering a serious, even permanent relationship with Byakuya that ends in having a child means that you'd be considered an inlaw of the Kuchiki's. And the elders could limit your freedom in ways I don't think you understand. And your CHILDREN'S freedom."

Ichigo took a deep breath, turned and wrapped his arms around Byakuya. "Dad, I don't think I could bring myself to abort a pregnancy /anyway./ I became a shinigami to protect you and Karin and Yuzu AND MY FRIENDS. I don't think I could abandon a family member, even one that hasn't been born. I'm willing to lay down my life in combat any day at any time for family and people I love who aren't family. Laying down my life in child birth is about as painful. And you know what, if it happens, it happens! Death is a part of life, it could happen anytime. And knowing that its not the end is a comfort, and it makes me value the time I have on earth EVEN MORE." (3)

Isshin looked at Byakuya, who tightened his grip around Ichigo's waist. "I'm willing to give you a chance, Byakuya, if your grandfather is willing to come back here and listen to my concerns and address them /i'm/ willing to give this a chance."

"He has to listen to your concerns. When there's the possibility of a relationship longer than a decade or the possibility of children they have to treat it like they would finding a marriage partner. Which means they have to listen to the parents and their wishes. But if you approach him like you just did me, he won't listen to anything." Byakuya told Isshin. "I will do EVERYTHING in my power to take care of your son and look out for him and any children we have. But don't treat me like my grandfather. I'm NOT like him. I had to deal with a relationship unpopular with MY parents once before, who I loved. I had to defy them when their approval meant so much, then they made me promise, before they died, never to go against their wishes again! I sacrificed everything for Hisana and she /died!/ Her life was cut short so TRAGICALLY that I mourned her for fifty years." He said with quiet steel. "I will NEVER let any harm come to Ichigo. I won't lose another partner! NEVER! If I lost another lover, after trying so hard to protect him I would DIE. And I will SLAUGHTER any enemy who tried to harm my /pride./" Pride, Isshin could see, meant his loved ones.

Isshin sighed. "Fine, I'll give you a chance, and I'll give Ginrei a chance as well. I'm not big on the idea, but I see the fervor in you that I feel your average noble is lacking."

"I'm not good at being fervent. It was watching your son save my sister, even though he barely knew her, when I was powerless to do so, that did it. I almost lost the second most important person in my life after Hisana. He affected me more than I care to admit in public. And I still act... very reserved... but I will defend my pride and my pride are the people, and the home that I love. And I don't want to be judged by the ways that my elders have put down. I myself was almost a victim to their closed mindedness."

Ichigo's eyebrows arched. "I never got that, she's your sister."

"I was not in a position that I could defend her Ichigo, I am an enforcer of the law of the seireitei. The sixth division is the watch dog that keeps shinigami from committing a crime and prosecutes them if they do. I don't like the IAB comparison but that is what we do. And sharing your powers is a grave crime. What if you'd gone evil? And decided to join Aizen? What if you'd /died/ trying to defy him? Rukia would have been considered responsible for your defection OR your death. After hisana died I promised my parents, who are now dead, that I wouldn't defy their wishes again. But I promised Hisana I would protect Rukia. I couldn't move. I couldn't think. You were not the first time I had questioned the authority of the Clan's Elders, and you certainly won't be the last, but it took your arrival and Aizen's betrayal to remind me of what was truly important."

"I will... try to understand. I have a helluva lot to think about now. But I have more questions, and not about this... Dad if you were a shinigami, why didn't you save mom? Why didn't you kill grand fisher before he TOOK her from us? Why didn't you tell me??? I thought her death was /my/ fault! Hell, sometimes I even wondered whether I'd gone psychotic and killed her and not remembered it." Ichigo stretched out his hands to Isshin, and it was the first non fearful look he'd given his father during this entire conversation. Byakuya let him go, and Ichigo had tears in his eyes as he threw his arms around not his father's physical form, but his spirit, shinigami, body, accepting the truth at last. He wasn't of this world. He had never been of it. Born in it, but not of it."

Isshin was crying too. "One of the conditions of Yamamoto helping me to leave the soul society, Ichigo, was that I give up my shinigami powers. That I become HUMAN. That was the only way he'd let me go. I couldn't see spirits the way you could when you were a child. I was only allowed out of my gigai when Aizen betrayed the soul society and you and your friends saved the Seireitei from itself. I don't think you understand the enormity of what you did. You shook the soul society awake, to the fact that it was doing things wrong. That it had made enemies at every turn claiming to protect the very people who later attacked it. And now one of their own turned on them. You know Tousen was immune to Aizen's power? He turned on the seireitei because he believed that his own people were evil. And you didn't just shake them awake, you moved them to ACTION. Yamamoto's defense of Karakura was INSPIRED! Because of YOU he started believing things were possible that he wouldn't have believed he could do! He decided that if he could convince some of the former captains to take up arms again he would!"

"I didn't realize that what I'd done was so great." Ichigo looked up at Byakuya.

"Your exploits have almost certainly ensured your captaincy in a few decades. Your talent even has the Kuchiki elders talking I know that much. Most shinigami would have thought that all your victories were impossible to do."

"And as for Grand Fisher. I slew him Ichigo. Right after the Bounto came through. More than you I deserved the right to cleanse him, and I did so with no vengeance or rancor. And saved Kon from being eaten."

"Grand Fisher is dead?" Ichigo blinked. In a way he felt cheated. Once he had bankai, Ichigo had longed to shove a getsuga tensho up that damn hamster's (4) ass. But if anyone deserved to do it more it was Isshin. And it allowed his father to reclaim his shinigamihood.

"Now go and have breakfast. And I'm sorry I was so harsh. GO."

Ichigo nodded numbly, his mind was full, and his heart was as heavy as it was light.

* * *

When Renji awoke, Ichigo and Byakuya was gone. There was a note tucked in Renji's gikon, which was resting on the bedside.

_Dear Renji, _

_My heart is large, too large for one person. And so I asked the three people I was most interested in being with to join me in the fever, hoping my body would decide for me. I've decided to go with Byakuya. I'm very thankful for the comfort you gave me. I was hurt and confused by what happened with Grimmjow, and in a way I guess it felt like I was whoring myself out for intelligence. Or that if I hadn't done what I did, I'd have ended up on the ground bloody and violated. I was never more afraid than I was then and you helped me to be brave and understand my confusion. It wasn't entirely grimmjow's fault and I don't blame him, I blame Aizen for what Grimmjow did, he ordered Zephly to make that virus. Please don't hold it against Grimm the next time we have to fight him. If you fight your battles with revenge in your heart, it will only get you so far before you lose, badly, and die. Many soul reapers make much ado about the urge to kill, but thats wrong. Thats not the source of my strength or what makes me so powerful a warrior. What makes me so strong is the will to protect, and the ability to love everyone that goes with it, even the enemy.  
_

_Uryu loves you. I've seen the look in his eyes when he looks at you. He's totally crazy over you and I don't want to get in his way. Byakuya is fine for me. We've gone back to my house to get some sleep and You'd better make your move soooooooon. _

Renji sighed, got up, and wrote a note of his own.

_Uryu, I went to buy us breakfast somewhere, be back soon. Ichigo went home with Byakuya, you don't have to worry about him anymore. But after we eat, we need to talk. _

A few moments later Renji came back with a bag of bagels, jam, peanut butter, cream cheese and butter. He wasn't sure what ones Uryu liked so he just got a bunch of different stuff that seemed to go together.

Uryu was sitting up, the note in his hands. "Ichigo went home, the fever faded after we went to bed and he decided that he wanted Byakuya. You know I was riding him like a horse, and he was busy doing the dominent seme thing on Ichigo. I guess Ichigo was taken with it. But thats alright, we have food. And I wanna ask you some things. About... I mean... do you... like me?"

Uryu blinked, here was Renji, being shy, and considerate, even getting him breakfast, though he clearly didn't know much about human food.

Uryu got up, walked over to Renji with a soft smile on his face. He plucked the bag from the bakery from Renji's hands, set it on the table in the kitchenette, and looped his arms around Renji's neck. "You're all that I can see." Renji blushed slightly, "And you're all I truly wanted."

Renji found himself pushed back on the bed, Uryu fumbling with his pants. "Its much easier to get the shihaksho off." Renji pulled out his gikon and ejected from his gigai, then dismissed the modsoul. "I'd much rather, do this as me, with /my/ body."

"Alright." Uryu grinned, pushing Renji back on the bed. "I'm absolutely dying for a taste."

"oh don't say that. OOOPH." Renji found himself flat on his back, Uryu grinning like a minx the entire time. "But don't you want me to..."

"What I've discovered, from /that/ experience, is that giving head is a huuugeee turn on." Uryu sniggered, slipping off Renji's hakama.

Renji blushed hugely, Uryu took his dick in his hands, and delicately licked the tip. That was all it took for his member to slowly, slowly flag to full alertness. "oooooooh..." Uryu grinned, pulling Renji's member slowly into his mouth. Uryu had him all the way in his mouth, and was sucking him off like he'd been born doing it.

Uryu began to hollow his cheeks, swallowing him as far down as he could go, breathing through his nose. His nose was buried in Renji's pubic hairs, and Uryu could smell the musk coming off the curls. Renji gasped, trying very, very hard not to buck. Uryu pushed his hips down. Renji groaned, head rolling back as Uryu worked his tongue along the bottom of the shaft as he sucked. Uryu took a deep breath through his nose, then throated Renji, humming softly.

Renji groaned, he'd been taken so off guard by Uryu's advances and the ministrations of that talented mouth that he came, screaming Uryu's name and writhing on the bed. Uryu swallowed every drop, licking his lips when he pulled back.

"where, the hell, did you learn to give head like that?"

"I looked it up." Uryu pushed his glasses up on his nose. "You know they teach us about sex in school, I just paid attention to the wrong part of the lecture if you know what I mean."

"Hah!" Renji was on Uryu in an instant. "Oh my god, you have no idea, I want to fuck you now."

Uryu chuckled, "oh really. You're going to make me work for that breakfast?"

"you got that right. I have to give you something back for that." Renji purred. Uryu blushed. "What, you don't want something back for that favor? You're still naked and your dick is even dripping precum." he gripped Uryu's ass cheeks. Uryu squealed. "its impolite."

"it wasn't a favor." Uryu growled. "I like giving head, I told you, it turns me on."

"Me too." Renji's dick was hard again, he desperately wanted to get inside Uryu. "What? You have a very good talent for oral pleasure. You caught me completely off guard."

"My ass is sore..." Uryu blushed. Then his stomach growled. Then he purred. "Although, I'd like some milk to go with that bagel." He sniggered, with a double entendre.

"You just had milk. Jeeze, at this rate you'll be a nympho just like Kurosaki. You don't want that do you?" Renji asked.

Uryu blushed.

"If you don't want me to fuck you, then let me use my hands. I'll make you sing." Renji pulled Uryu into his arms. "I want you Uryu, so badly right now it hurts."

"Alright then, hands it is." And Uryu fell into the arms he wanted all along.

_I hope my dad doesn't find out I'm fucking a soul reaper. That trist with Kurosaki was bad enough, I just went along with him so I could have sex with Renji. If my dad finds out I'm dating a lieutenant, he'll kill me.

* * *

_

1. In Bleach Mush the Beginning a text based real time rpg I play, the game wizards began to divide division specialties up and assign them where Tite Kubo hadn't. They made the sixth the shinigami IAB. Since it fits the story I want to tell I'm going to keep their designation of the sixth division as the rat squad. It TOTALLY fits Byakuya's "Law and Order" attitude towards rule breaking in the soul society arc.

2. OMG! The flashback episode for the Zanpakuto Rebellion arc WAS AWESOME, I liked that Ginrei's personality was actually touched on and I really like him, but he doesn't strike me as getting along well with Isshin, also, if you watch the shinigami cup omake, child Byakuya asks Ginrei where he wears his Kensaiken. And Ginrei blushes slightly and then disappears rather than answering. Which tells me its someplace you can't see under his clothes. Something kind of bold for such a conservative seeming character. And in writing, I cast the Kuchiki's as treating their Kensaiken like the Scottish do their Kilts.

3. Ichigo strikes me as not being willing to abort. Personally I'd be quaking in fear in his position and rushing off to the clinic. But Ichigo is very loving and affectionate, despite his gruff outside. Thats part of why he had so much trouble deciding between Renji, Byakuya and Uryu.


	8. Chapter 8

Over the next six weeks, Grimmjow watched a creeping tension move into some of his fellow arrancar, especially the males. While some, like Szayel were eager to surrender to the fever and have offspring, others couldn't help but be afraid, and gruff or angry. But Grimmjow's tension was due to something else.

Grimmjow was not exclusively a seme, he could be persuaded to bottom on occasion and for the right person. And he'd bottomed to both Renji, Ichigo and Ulquiorra at some point or other during the fever. Grimmjow was also different in anatomy from the other arrancar. He'd consumed a tigeress as a hollow and due to this he had parts of him that were tiger like. It wasn't even two weeks (while Ichigo underwent his own fever and its incubation period) before Grimmjow started to get morning sick. He wasn't a medic or a scientist, but he /knew/. He would have a shorter gestation than the others, a tiger's gestation. That was four months. And he would probably have multiples as well, again due to his tiger anatomy, to simulate having a litter. Which meant it could be the shinigami's kid.

And he could imagine how Aizen would react to that. He'd use Grimmjow's children as experiment subjects. He wouldn't respect Grimmjow and Ulquiorra's bodies, why would he respect their children?

"Grimmjow." Ulquiorra entered the bathroom where Grimmjow had just thrown up. "What are you thinking?"

"Ulquiorra." Grimmjow said quietly. "We have to leave. I want you to pack up what little things you want to take with you, anything you need, and be ready to go. We're going to see Zephly, have him check us both out, and then we're going to bolt the door shut, and open the garganta to the world of the living. We'll find the nearest shinigami and surrender."

Ulquiorra rocked back a little. "But Aizen will pursue us."

"Ulquiorra, if he's willing to do this to you and me, what do you think he's going to do to our children. And if it works like a virus, odds are the damn shinigami have it by now. They know whats happening."

"This is sudden."

"not for me, i've been thinking about it since I started to throw up." Grimmjow groaned, Ulquiorra wrapped his arms around Grimmjow's waist. "Have you been feeling nauseous at all?"

"Yes, for the past two weeks. Why the hurry?"

"Its been two months since the fever. That means you have another seven or eight months at least. Unfortunately I don't think I have that long."

"How long do you think you have?"

Grimmjow paused, "The child, though I think its more than one, should start kicking any day now." He carefully slipped off his jacket and moved Ulquiorra's hands to his stomach. "I'm part tiger, their gestation is only four months." His smile was wane. "I don't want Aizen finding out that the child could be part shinigami. I'm scared of what he'll do when he..." Grimmjow gulped. He was not the kind to be frightened easily, but a chill had slowly settled into the pit of his stomach.

Ulquiorra could feel the telltale swelling of a baby belly. It wasn't that large, but Grimmjow was very masculine, he wouldn't show much even right before birth. His heart started to pound. He was showing. Grimmjow was right, VERY right for once. They didn't have much time. And if Aizen was willing to do this to him and Grimmjow, what would he do to their children. Ulquiorra's running away wasn't fair for Stark or to Nnoitra, both of whom had served his physical need when Grimmjow was away with Ichigo and Renji. But he had to do what he thought was best for the baby.

And Nnoitra had been rough with him anyhow, though Stark had been very sweet, very gentle with Ulquiorra.

"Alright. I don't have very much to pack. In fact, I think I only have a few books." Ulquiorra wrapped his arms around Grimmjow. "I'll come back when i'm done, do you have anything?"

"Nope." Grimmjow snorted. "Just my clothes, my sword and my bed. And I can't take my bed with me can I?"

"No, that would be too much. How do we keep from being discovered?"

"Put a chair against the outside of the door, thats the universal sign for "I'm having sex, stay out." Then we'll block the door with furniture, lock it, and then open the garganta from inside the room."

"Sounds like a plan, if we do that they won't come looking for us for several hours. We'd have a lead on any search parties." Ulquiorra came back with a small leather duffel bag. "You might want to pack a few things as well, I hate to admit it but we should bring some blankets or something to light a fire with and some water. Just in case we don't find any shinigami."

"No need, I have a small crash pad in the warehouse district. Thats where I went with Kurosaki. We can stay there if we don't find someone. And I have supplies there as well. We won't need matches or anything for a fire, chop up some old crates for fuel, then for kindling steel wool and an old battery will do." (1)

Ulquiorra blinked. "You didn't tell me you had a crash pad."

"I go there when I want to be left alone." Grimmjow replied. "Lets get to Zephly. I want to have him take a look at me and see if he has anything to add. Qui-koi, you should have him check you out too. Then we barrier in the room and run."

Ulquiorra nodded. "I'm ready, lets move."

Zephly didn't take long to find. "I was wondering when you two would show up. I've just had to deal with Nnoitra. He's near hysterical so steer clear of him please."

"Hysterical?" Ulquiorra groaned. Nnoitra was bad enough swaggering and confident, hysterical could be deadly. "Why?"

"he has some, mantis like, instincts. The Mantis female eats its mate. He thinks he's going to get eaten." Zephly grinned stupidly.

"here." He handed Grimmjow and Ulquiorra each a pregnancy test. "Pee on the small strip. Then once you have the results come out, and I'll give you a more comprehensive exam."

"I'm pretty sure I don't need that." Grimmjow growled. He slipped off his shirt. "Look." He indicated his already slightly swollen belly. "Thats what I need to talk to you about. I've got some characteristics of a tiger. Tiger gestation is way shorter than a humans. And given that tigers are cats, and thus have a litter..." He let it hang.

"Yeah, four months. That means you'd be about halfway through." Zephly sniggered. "I made the fever to have permanent affects, meaning you'd still be able to have kids. But the first time you do if you took multiple partners during the initial fever then you have multiple babies anyway. Up to five, I didn't think the male body could take many more. I fixed it so that to maximize the distribution of the genepool you would be having one baby from each partner you bedded. So even if you weren't part tiger my friend, you'd be having a litter."

Grimmjow paled. That was absolutely the worst case scenario. It meant he was carrying two babies that would be at least part shinigami. Aizen was going to kill him if he stayed. It also meant that Ulquiorra was carrying his baby, and those of Stark and whoever else he had sex with.

Ulquiorra came out of the bathroom. "Is an X a positive?" He asked, handing the test over.

"ayup." Zephly replied. "Since Grimmjow is the furthest along, we'll do his exam first. Have you had multiple partners?"

"Yes, three."

"Then that means you're in for a triple score. Congratulations." Zephly sniggered.

Ulquiorra quirked a brow, looking somewhat concerned. Grimmjow knew his mate. Ulquiorra was probably very frightened at the prospect.

"If you had multiple partners, you will have one baby by each partner. Everyone you bottomed for, up to five. I didn't think the male body could handle more than five." Zephly explained.

Grimmjow was getting more and more pale. "Lets just get this over with."

"Very well, leave your shirt off Grimmjow and lie down. I'll be using a slightly improved human scanning device."

Grimmjow lay down on the nearest med table in the infirmary. Ulquiorra leaned in, taking Grimmjow's hand and giving him a kiss. "it will be alright koi. At least you'll be done with this sooner."

"At least." Grimmjow growled.

Zephly came back pushing a modified ultrasound machine. "Here we go." he pulled out a tube of some kind of gel. Grimmjow blinked as Zephly began to smear it on his stomach. "its for the scanning machine." he explained. "Needs it." He flipped a switch, the machine began to boot up. "You don't like being touched do you?"

"Only by people I know. I hardley know you, and you're the reason I'm like this."

"Fair enough, then I'll explain how it works. I smear the gel on, run this" he held up the wand. "over your stomach and it gives us a picture of the babies."

Grimmjow nodded. "Go ahead then." Zephly nodded and began to move the wand over his stomach. Grimmjow turned his face towards the monitor.

The image on the monitor was blurry, black and white at first, but slowly it began to grow clearer and clearer. "The human device is very blurry, I enhanced the image so that you could see it more clearly."

As Grimmjow watched, three small outlines could be seen on the screen. "oh wow, curiouser and curiouser, gender has almost formed, another two weeks and we should be able to tell the sex. Heh, you can even see a bit of a mask fragment, right here." Zephly reached out to the screen, indicating a tiny mark on the side of one of the babies faces. "Its very faint, right here..."

It didn't take very long for Zephly to switch Grimmjow and Ulquiorra. Grimmjow struck him as being very fearful, but otherwise stable. Ulquiorra concerned him. Most parents to be were excited, showing some kind of emotion, not doing so was considered a red flag. "You alright?" Zephly asked as he reset the machine and spread the gel on Ulquiorra's stomach he asked. "You scared?"

"I am very. I do not express emotion very well, I am sorry if this causes you any concern."

"Yeah, sorry, most doctors consider total lack of emotion during one of these to be a red flag. NO depression? Wanting to hurt yourself?"

"Arrancar are stone cold killers, you are not asking about that?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Of course not. All arrancar have an instinct to kill. I would be worried about you killing someone if that instinct were uncontrollable. Because you display a lack of emotion I'd be more worried about suicide."

"I have a very great will to live. But I do not wear my heart on my sleeve like Grimmjow." Ulquiorra replied. "It is not in my nature to express my emotions openly."

Zephly nodded. "Hmmm, again, looks like you have three babies. I don't see any sign of ill health or complications. Everything looks good. Both of you should be okay to go now." The three of them cleaned up.

Ulquiorra and Grimmjow made sure to walk through the halls in public, to be seen by Gin and four others and Grimmjow even provoked Nnoitra into screaming at them both and storming off. They took a longer way back to their quarters than they normally would.

Then as soon as the door to their room was closed, the chair in place outside it, Grimmjow began shoving furniture against the door. Completely blocking it with a ten foot high pile of anything they could find. Grimmjow then took several glass items and some eating plates and smashed them around the base of the barrier to further impede entry. Ulquiorra grabbed the bag he'd put together.

They opened the garganta and ran for their lives at top sonido. Grimmjow finally let the terror he was feeling show, running as fast as he could. The hunter had become the hunted. Then there was light at the other end and they emerged by the river in Karakura town. "Come on, keep running!" Grimmjow told Ulquiorra.

They ran downstream, down the riverbank, for easily another mile. Then all of a sudden Grimmjow heard. "Sting all enemies to death, Suzumibachi!" A blur of black, white and blue hair shot towards him. At the same time a dark skinned blur grabbed Ulquiorra and wrenched him around, unresisting. Ulquiorra felt a small, sharp knife at his throat and instantly relaxed into his captor's hold.

Grimmjow saw the shinigami charging and dropped to the ground. He curled up in a ball on the ground, instinctively protecting his stomach and snarling a warning. He could feel something burning on his back and then something sharp pressing against the burning part. "One more hit and you're dead." A sharp woman's voice growled. "Give me a good reason to leave you alive."

"We surrender." Ulquiorra said quietly. "We want to defect to the soul society. We no longer feel safe under Aizen's rule."

Grimmjow just flipped out. "Geroff me bitch! GET OFF GET OFF GET OFF!" He curled up into a tighter ball, hissing like a cornered cat. "I'm pregnant dumbass, lay a hand on me and I swear I'll..." Grimmjow had tears in his eyes. "Fucking hormones... just STAY BACK!" He snarled, letting out a sound like a tiger's roar.

Ulquiorra twisted his head around to try and see his captor's face. The knife removed itself, replaced by a restraint hold. "What's wrong with him?"

"Grimmjow is genuinely fearful for the first time in his life. Your friend frightened him even worse. Please forgive him. It is true, he is pregnant. That is part of the reason why we left."

Soi Fon was more or less shocked. Instead of fighting back like she'd expected, (the reason why she had used so much force,) Grimmjow just freaked out. Hadn't Kurosaki come away from numerous battles with him mangled to shreds? Hadn't he jammed his zanpakuto into Ichigo's wrists once? That was an absolutely brutal move.

"Was it Zephly?"

"yes, Aizen took the fever virus and spiked the water of the most powerful of the male arrancar with it, the Espada as well. Anyone who had the fever, and allowed himself to be topped became pregnant. And we discovered that if the person in question had multiple partners, and was topped multiple times, he would have one baby for each sire, up to five. Which is why we came for help. Grimmjow slept with Kurosaki Ichigo, and with one of the shinigami lieutenants, before he came home and slept with me. Two of the three children he's carrying are almost certainly half shinigami. He feared for our safety, and I agree. Aizen did not respect the sanctity of our bodies, why would he respect our children?"

Grimmjow was, for the first time in his life, shaking in fear on the ground. And he hated it. He hated that he was feeling so helpless, so... exposed.

Ulquiorra felt the grip of the woman who was capturing him loosen. "I'm gonna let you go, but I'm taking your zanpakuto. I hope you understand. I cannot allow a former enemy I don't trust to carry a weapon when I bring you to the commander general."

"Understood." Ulquiorra replied. He felt his zanpakuto slide from his belt, then he was let go.

Soi Fon was, despite being vicious and ruthless, a woman. And she could sympathize with being pregnant and fearful for one's safety. She knelt down next to Grimmjow, who tensed up as he felt her shadow fall over him. Grimmjow tensed, snarling in his catlike way when he saw her hand reach out for him, then blinked in surprise when instead of a finishing blow there was a gentle caress to his cheek. "Get up. I've removed the mark from your back, you still have the stab wound but you're no longer in danger. I'm sorry. I saw the wounds that Kurosaki came back with after each of his battles with you. I thought it was a better idea to move with maximum force and I expected to be met with a powerful opponent, not a pregnant and panicking defector."

"Ah could," Grimmjow gulped. "Normally I'm stronger than this. I wouldn't disappoint you if you're looking for a battle. But I'm not feeling very well I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. But get up. My division tracks fugitives, we're used to the kind of pursuing that will be coming after you before too long. Did you take measures to disguise your exit?"

"Yes, and to be seen in the hallways of los Noches right before we left. We put a chair against the door to our quarters in a do not disturb signal to make people think we were having sex, then barricaded the door and scattered glass around the barricade to impede entry. Then we opened the garganta from inside our quarters." Ulquiorra reported. "They will not realize we're gone for some hours. Please, may we speak with Kurosaki and Abarai?"

"I'm sorry, we have to go straight to the seireitei to discourage pursuit. We'll have to confine you as well until the remaining captains can decide whether to accept your surrender. And Unohana will want to examine you both. We'll have a messanger bring Kurosaki and Abarai to you. Though I warn you they've both paired off with someone else. Renji recently submitted the forms necessary to allow his new mate to come visit him whenever he wished, and an elder of the Kuchiki clan is going to speak with Kurosaki about his alliance with the Kuchiki clan leader."

"That was the deal we made, Kurosaki could go on with his life. I didn't think I'd be affected like this by the fever." Grimmjow replied, carefully picking himself up.

Soi Fon sighed, grabbing Grimmjow's hands. "i'm sorry, I need to keep you in my sight, and have some amount of control over your movements. I'm hesitant to restrain you because I know my restraints probably won't work."

"We won't try to resist you."

"My name is Soi Fon, captain of shinigami squad two."

"Yoruichi Shihouin, former squad two captain, I was recently pardoned and allowed to return to the soul society when I wished." The other woman added.

Soi Fon pulled out her cellphone with her free hand. "This is captain soi fon requesting prisoner transfer via senkaimon gate." A pause. "We were approached by two of the Espada wishing to defect to our side. They feared for their safety. Requesting that the detention corps and the medical corps be waiting at the gate? There are medical concerns. Please advise?"

"Roger that Captain Fon, the detention corps have been dispatched. Captain Unohana and Commander General Yamamoto will meet us at the gate."

"When the senkaimon opens, you must keep moving. No matter what. Keep moving, don't look back, don't stop. We have a few minutes to get in before the cleaners are due to come through, and you don't want to be here when they arrive, can you sonido?" Yoruichi asked courteously. "And Soi Fon, let me." She took the phone. "This is Yoruichi Shihouin, let the commander general know that he can use the abandoned Shihouin compound on the north side of the Seireitei to house the prisoners."

"Yes." The two espada replied.

"Then we will move at Sonido and Shunpo paces." Soi Fon told them both. "And I warn you, Yoruichi and I are the fastest shinigami alive."

Grimmjow was rather numb as he ran through the senkaimon gate. Then they came out on the other side in bright, vivid light to find hundreds of shinigami, swords bared, Kidou active, barriers creating a corridor like riot squad officers making a wall with shields. Several of the captains and lieutenants were behind the barriers, bankai active, faces grim. One of the bankai was in the form of a massive giant, easily the size of a menos grande.

"Sexta Espada Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, Querta Espada Ulquiorra Schiffer, welcome to the soul society. You will be detained in a specially prepared cottage in isolation under armed guard until we decide what to do with you. Do you have anything to say to us, anything that should be taken into consideration?"

"Given that you already know about Zephly's virus, we, Ulquiorra and I are both pregnant as a result of the virus altering our anatomy. Each of us are carrying triplets." Grimmjow let Ulquiorra do the talking. "However, due to a quirk of his anatomy Grimmjow's gestation is faster than mine, a mere four months, he's already halfway through. Two of his children are sired by shinigami, the third is mine. Please treat him with appropriate care." Ulquiorra took a deep breath, steeling himself to be attacked. "Also, we have new information about Zephly's virus for you as well. Also, there could be upwards of three hundred male arrancar who were infected with the fever, not just us."

"Very well then, Captain Unohana, Captain Komamura, please take charge of the prisoners."

A large, green, creature, landed. And a woman with long, braided hair and a serene expression and a man easily ten feet tall, with half human, half canid features moved forwards. Yoruichi gently pushed Ulquiorra forwards. "Komamura is the one who looks half dog, when I let you go, walk to him. Yamamoto will keep your zanpakuto safe." She whispered in his ear. "Soifon and I will come looking for you later."

Soifon said quietly in Grimmjow's ear. "When I let you go, walk forwards to Unohana, she's the one with the braid and the serene expression. She'll take good care of you. You have no need to fear anymore, she'll defend you and your children with her life if she had to. Yoruichi and I will come to visit you later."

Grimmjow had tears streaming down his cheeks. Then the hand holding onto his arm released, and Soi Fon gave him a gentle push forwards, and Yoruichi did the same to Ulquiorra.

Grimmjow squared his shoulders, walking forwards to meet their escorts. Unohana delicately held out her hand for Grimmjow to take. "Come with me Grimmjow, my zanpakuto Minazuki will transport you."

"Thank you." Grimmjow said quietly.

"I need to ask you some questions about your condition along the way, but lets get away from the crowd first."

It wasn't long before Minazuki was carrying them through the air towards a compound at the edge of the seireitei. Unohana sighed. "Alright, I need to know exactly what you found out about Zephly's virus."

"Uh, well we found out that if the person infected has multiple partners, they have multiple babies. Ulquiorra and I each took three partners, so we each have three babies. The only difference was that for me, two of those partners were shinigami. I'm not sure what will happen. Do you know any..."

"Unfortunately i've never seen an arrancar shinigami hybrid, however you should be aware that hybridism can sometimes cause genetic damage. We'll have to keep a careful eye on your health."

As they flew, and the strange bankai created giant followed them, Grimmjow felt some of the fear in the pit of his stomach slowly melt away. Unohana was a very good listener, and by the time Grimmjow finished the story of how they'd gotten there, how they doubted Aizen would respect their children if he wouldn't respect THEM, how he was afraid of what he might do to the children of his that were half shinigami, how he'd finally realized that Aizen didn't CARE about the arrancar, he just wanted to use them, the normally blustering Sexta Espada was in a fit of pregnancy hormone induced tears.

Ulquiorra saw Grimmjow start to cry in a hormonal fit and threw his arms around his Koi. He'd sat obediently at Komamura's side where he'd been told to sit the whole time, offering information, details or an observation here or there. And now he threw his arms around Grimmjow and snuggled against him.

Grimmjow got ahold of himself about the time they landed in an abandoned series of buildings. It was about the same size as a large victorian in the world of the living. "If this is a prison I dun ever wanna leave!" Grimmjow exclaimed, looking around at the dust covered, but lavish furniture and the wall hangings and other decorations and the repeated use of the Shihouin's clan seal.

"its going to need some cleaning." Unohana sighed. "Grimmjow, each of the captains is going to want to spend some time with you and your mate to decide whether or not they want to accept your surrender and what they want to do with you."

"What if they don't?"

Komamura ahermed. "We would return you to the world of the living, and abandon you to whatever trackers Aizen sends for you. If Yamamoto were willing to harm a pregnant... er... person... or a child I wouldn't follow him." He said that last stubbornly and with pride.

Grimmjow nodded. "I'm getting tired... Unohana you wanted to examine us right? How long will that take?"

"I can wait until you wake up. I'll be here for a few hours anyway." Unohana said pleasantly.

Komamura grinned. "i'm gonna take a nap, if any of you need something, come get me, I'll be on the couch." The canid taichou headed for the living room and flopped on a large futon, folded up in the couch position.

Grimmjow and Ulquiorra followed Unohana as she lead them to one of the bedrooms. "I'll be in in about three hours, so please get whatever sleep you need. I warn you though, the Kidou corps has several barriers up over the property, you cannot get out, but on the bright side, nobody but a captain or lieutenant can be let in without permission. So you won't have to worry about being disturbed by the curious."

"Thank you for ensuring our privacy."

"Not a problem, I doubt you'd be used to socializing, and a large group of curious officers can be a lot to deal with. We shinigami, when not fighting, tend to extremely social and friendly. Some are even eccentric, if I know the sorts of tactics Aizen's been using to psychologically keep his officers in line, you two won't trust easily."

"No, we wouldn't. I have a bit of an aversion to anyone but Grimmjow or a medical officer touching me, and I doubt I'd understand some of the more subtle forms of socialization." Ulquiorra sighed. "I tend to be very emotionally reserved, when Zephly gave me an ultrasound he asked me if I was having any signs of depression. I had to explain that I am naturally detatched, and do not show my true feelings easily."

"I'll keep that in mind when I examine you." Unohana closed the door behind her.

A few minutes later when Unohana opened the door, she saw the most adorable sight. Grimmjow and Ulquiorra were curled in each others arms, Grimmjow was on his back, arms slightly in the air like a cat rolling around on its belly, Ulquiorra had his head on Grimmjow's chest, one hand on his stomach.

* * *

Rangiku had been present at the crowd of shinigami come to watch the surrender of the two Espada. She was about to leave when Yamamoto tapped her on the shoulder. "Matsumoto, Byakuya and Ichigo are at the Kurosaki clinic right?"

"yes, Kuchiki-taichou offered to have the place renovated and added to. Something about no sister of his is going to be allowed to sleep in the closet."

Yamamoto chuckled. "From what I'm told thats where she hid when she first met him, and she seems to like using it. Go tell Ichigo and Byakuya what happened, then get Renji and Uryu from the Urahara shop. DO NOT tell them that they're the fathers. Please."

"Oooooh, alright." Rangiku wouldn't have blabbed something so important! She had her standards after all. "Just tell Taichou where I've gone please? For once I have an excuse to get away from paperwork."

As the crowd disbursed, Rangiku made her way towards the gate they'd just left and as soon as she was in the world of the living she made a beeline for the Kurosaki clinic.

Byakuya sighed, "Kurosaki-dono."

"Call me Isshin." They'd been back and forth for an hour, Byakuya nagging slightly. Isshin found it amusing.

"I don't want my sister anywhere in Ichigo's room, I can pay for everything, materials, supplies, labor. And besides, the girls are getting old enough that they should have their own room. We can use the opportunity to add a little more space to the clinic."

Isshin sighed. "your generosity is appreciated, unfortunately modern Japan does not have as much space to expand into as the soul society does. We live in a city, and there's only so much space. How would we expand the place? The only way to go would be to the front, towards the street, and the side yard, which Yuzu is growing a garden in."

"Expand up?"

"Doable, but that only adds living and storage space, doesn't help the clinic."

"i'll make up the difference in funding, we'll add a room for either Karin or Yuzu, whoever wants the new room, then build a couple of guest bedrooms so that Rukia and a couple of visitors can stay overnight. Slip some crawl spaces in around the edges for storage. I have some extra furniture from a compound the clan shut down on the edge of Jurinan (1), it doesn't look too old. And its only taking up space in the Kuchiki clan's store rooms that we could use for other things. We'll add a second bathroom, a home office for the clinic's papers to be stored, and so that you can have a calm, quiet place to do office related things."

"I probably won't use it for peace and quiet," Isshin replied. "I like to be social. Be involved."

"oh, and Ginrei will be coming this afternoon to speak with you." Byakuya reminded him. "I've also let him know that you were worried about how he'd treat you. And that you thought he hated you."

"Way to be tactful."

"Should I not have said anything?" Byakuya asked.

"no, its just the way you say it sounds so negative." Isshin replied.

Just then the two men heard the door slam shut with an eager. **BAM!** Ichigo squealed, running in and throwing his arms around Byakuya. "Bya-koi!"

"Ichigo?" Byakuya blinked in surprise. "Is something wrong? You're home two hours early."

"I got sick in class, so the nurse said I could go home." He said with a faint smile. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"It will be another week or so before Unohana can tell for sure." Byakuya kissed Ichigo tenderly on the lips.

Ichigo sighed. "I'll be glad when I do know for sure. I'm getting restless."

"You'll get even more restless when you're too heavy to fight." Byakuya purred, scooping Ichigo up in his arms bridal style and was about to flash step with him up to Ichigo's room when someone pounded on the door. "Its Rangiku! I'm supposed to fetch Ichigo and Byakuya!"

Byakuya set Ichigo down and the two hurried to the door. "Rangiku?"

"Ichigo, we need to move, you and Byakuya are both being called, its urgent!"

"What happened?"

"Two of the Espada defected!" Rangiku exclaimed. "Grimmjow and Ulquiorra! I'm to get you both and then get Renji and Uryu and hurry!"

"Alright, we'll meet you at Urahara's." Ichigo replied.

Rangiku nodded and disappeared, flashstepping over the rooftops.

It took about ten minutes alone to chase down Kon, who complained the entire time Ichigo tried to get his pill out. Then he yelled curses after their retreating backs.

But Kon had put them enough behind Renji and Uryu that they were waiting for them and the gate all ready to go by the time they arrived. "Sorry about that. Kon held us up."

"What was he doing this time?"

"Reading hustler."

"Hustler?" Demanded Renji, rolling his eyes. Even he knew what Hustler was.

"Yes, no idea where he got it. I hope he didn't steal it. Or convince some hapless child to buy it for him." Ichigo growled. "or he could have taken it from Lisa."

"Who's Lisa?"

"One of the vaizard, and appearantly she was Kyouraku's lieutenant before Nanao. She reads porno and sports illustrated swimsuit edition."

"eeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwww."

"You give him too much credit." Uryu growled. He turned to look at Urahara, who was putting the finishing touches on the gate. It opened and stablized. "Alright, lets go." The four of them ran as fast as they could.

Yoruichi and Soi Fon were waiting for them. "follow us."

They ran, shunpoing and in Uryu's case Hirenkyaku'd in silence through what appeared to be an upperclass neighborhood. Several shinigami were sitting on walls or gates, standing on guard it seemed. Ichigo didn't recognize their uniform, though several of them saluted Byakuya or Yoruichi. "Clan guardsmen." Byakuya whispered in Ichigo's ear, scooping him up in his arms bridal style.

"You don't have to..."

"I said I like sweeping my lover off my feet." He husked in Ichigo's ear, Ichigo blushed, realizing that it was a gesture of affection. "Besides, I want to make my interests in you clear. The parents of this really, really annoying girl... were hoping to arrange a union I'm not interested in making."

Ichigo blink, blink, blinked, and then it hit him, oh yes, Byakuya was a noble. They practiced old fashioned prearranged marriages, and Byakuya was beautiful, definitely quite a catch. It would make sense that the other noble families might try to compete for his affection. And while it was a custom Byakuya was used to, obviously it was not something he enjoyed dealing with."

Ichigo smirked, and reached up to kiss Byakuya on the lips mid stride. Byakuya sputtered, suddenly finding it impossible to flash step and kiss Ichigo at the same time. Ichigo realized he'd startled his koi, and pulled back, blushing a bit and wrapping his arms around Byakuya's shoulders. "Just trying to make your interests clear." He whispered back in Byakuya's ear.

Byakuya chuckled. "OYE! HURRY UP!" Yoruichi called lead them to a deserted compound guarded not by clan guardsmen, but shinigami in second division uniform.

"Let us in." Soi Fon ordered. The second divisioners parted to let them enter. Ichigo climbed down out of Byakuya's grip.

All of a sudden Ichigo was tackled by a blur of teal. He found himself flat on the ground, being sniffed and... purred against? Ichigo blinked, and as his vision cleared after being tackled he realized that Grimmjow was pinning him to the ground, purring and snuggling against his chest. He looked up towards the hallway and saw Ulquiorra standing there, an almost shy expression on his face.

"G... G... Grimmjow?" Ichigo stammered.

"Berry!" exclaimed Grimmjow, looking way, way too happy. Grimmjow sat up, and Ichigo hesitantly wrapped his arms around Grimmjow's shoulders.

That was when he felt it, Grimmjow had gained weight, his stomach was bulged slightly. "Grimmjow?" Grimmjow was purring against him, a soft, possessive noise. "Are you..."

Grimmjow had tears in his eyes, and a dumb, stupid, shiteating grin on his face. "Yeah." His hands guided Ichigo's fingers to his midsection. Ichigo blushed hugely. "ahm pregnant Berry-chan." He smirked.

Ichigo blushed hugely, remembering how he and Renji had taken turns being top or bottom. "Is it..."

"Uh, sorta.... there's three of 'em, one's yers, the second is his..." he indicated renji. "And the third is Ulquiorra-koi's."

Ichigo passed out on the floor, fainted.

* * *

1. You can use steel wool and a battery to start a fire, so whatever you do, do not put these two together. See the history channel special "Apocalypse Man" with Rudy Reyes. Fluff out the finer strands in the wool and rub the prong end of a nine volt battery against it. Coolest damn thing I've ever seen.


	9. Chapter 9

Unohana caught Ichigo neatly, as if she'd almost been expecting him to faint. She carefully tugged Ichigo up onto one of the couches and calmly shoo'd Byakuya out. She'd already convinced Ulquiorra and Grimmjow not to tell Ichigo or any of his prior partners (meaning Uryu and Renji too) about the multiples modification that Zephly had made. First of all it was impossible to tell whether Ichigo was pregnant for another week to ten days. Second she didn't want to start a fight until there was something concrete.

Unohana whispered to Byakuya. "Personally I'm concerned about the health of the children Renji and Ichigo sired. We've never seen an arrancar/shinigami hybrid before. But I'm begging you Byakuya, let this playout the way it will. I don't think Ichigo is going to be leaving you any time soon for Grimmjow. And Grimmjow is more interested in Ulquiorra, he told me so on the way here." Grimmjow curled up on a big arm chair in a catlike ball. "He just wanted Ichigo and Renji to know what had occurred and he wanted their children to be safe. He wanted to give them the option of knowing them if that is what they wanted. He's not interested in..."

"Thats enough. I'm not happy about it but I'm not going to oppose it. Ichigo is MINE. But the way I was raised we support ALL our children, even the illegitimate ones. If Ichigo wants to be a part of their lives, in addition to those he might bear himself, then its more credit to his character in my book." Byakuya snapped. "Please let me know when he wakes up."

Unohana nodded. She'd made him angry. By even suggesting that he wouldn't support whatever decision Ichigo made.

Byakuya waited outside.

Ichigo groaned, slowly coming to about twenty minutes later. The sitting room was crowded with rows of couches and armchairs, and Grimmjow was sprawled on one of them, curled up with Ulquiorra. Komamura was sprawled on the floor in front of a fireplace, in a posture that reminded Ichigo very strongly of a dog.

In an instant Byakuya was at his side, scooping Ichigo into his arms and kissing him passionately. Ichigo gasped, returning the kiss. Byakuya let out a low, gruff growl. Ichigo tugged him down onto the couch and curled up next to him. Ichigo snuggled his face into Byakuya's chest. "I didn't scare you fainting did I?"

"no." Byakuya smiled a small, tender smile. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"me too. But i'm worried about Grimmjow."

"Unohana is too. Appearantly there's never been a shinigami arrancar hybrid before. She's not sure what will happen. She's pretty sure that Grimmjow is healthy, he's going to need to change into his released form at some point before he goes into labor but thats pretty easy to have done."

"have done?"

"Soifon took his zanpakuto."

"oh." Ichigo snuggled into his lover's chest and when he looked up, he was crying. "Byakuya, are you angry at me that I got him... Pregnant?"

"You weren't entirely to blame, Renji joined you too." Byakuya pointed out.

"Yeah, but you were the one acting possessive, and that was just with Renji and Uryu, Grimmjow is an arrancar, and an Espada, and he and I fight like cats and dogs. He's left me mangled more than once."

"Are you willing to forgive him?"

"uh... I dunno. I'm still upset about what happened, but now that I know what happened to him I'm not as angry with him as I was."

"I will leave the decision up to you, but trying to be in the lives of your children, all your children, even without custody, would be considered the responsible thing to do in a noble clan. If it helps, I don't hold it against you if you're trying to do the right thing."

"Thanks, that means a lot." Ichigo said with a faint smile. "I've got a headache."

Byakuya kissed Ichigo gently. "Probably another sign of your possible... condition. Though Unohana's told me over and over again not to say anything until she can medically confirm it."

Ichigo groaned, returning the kiss and nervously snuggling deeper into Byakuya's arms. "Yeah, one day at a time right?"

"That is the idea."

Ichigo looked over, and spotted Komamura lounging by the fireplace. "There isn't even a fire in that thing." Komamura's ears twitched. "Is he really asleep?"

"I was." Komamura grumbled gruffly. "The couch nearly broke when I lay down on it."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Byakuya, wasn't your grandfather coming tonight?"

"Yes, we have about an hour. We'd better go. Do you feel up for travel?"

"yes. But I want to talk to Grimmjow first." He got up and walked over to Grimmjow. "Grimmjow, wake up... please?"

Grimmjow's ear kinda twitched. He opened one eye. "Berry? You're awake!"

"Hey, Byakuya's grandfather is going to give my dad a visit and I have to be there when he does. But I'll be back to check on you after school tomorrow okay? I do want to be there. I do want to help you with the kid." He gave Grimmjow's hand a squeeze.

"Unohana said she's not sure what will happen teh the kid." Grimmjow said quietly. "Arrancar are possessive lovers, and even more possessive parents. Ah don't expect yah to do anything more than be there to let the kid know where he comes from. I'll do all the rest."

Ichigo nodded. "Fair enough. I'll come by after school to check on you." He stood up, and left.

* * *

Karin was automatically drawn to the old man who looked lost about twenty minutes walk from her house. He had a narrow face, a calm, quiet, but severe expression. He wore shinigami robes, so she knew he was a soul reaper of some kind, but what rank she couldn't tell. His eyes reminded her of Byakuya, somewhat, but perhaps a shade paler.

She sighed, well, he probably knew she was there, but he likely assumed she wouldn't see him. So she calmly walked up to him and said. "What can I do for you shinigami?"

Ginrei jumped about a mile. "you can see me?"

"My older brother is a shinigami, so yeah, I see you guys around a lot."

"Well, I'm actually lost, I'm supposed to pick up a gigai at the Kurosaki clinic. I'm to visit the man who runs it. He's an old friend you see."

"Old friend huh." Karin realized he was looking for her father. "Thats odd, most of the shinigami who head there are looking for my brother." She gave Ginrei an extremely suspicious look. And the oldest Kuchiki blinked in surprise. This girl was obviously very young, couldn't have been younger than twelve, but she seemed to Ginrei to be twelve going on two hundred. Every so often when dealing with children you had one like her. The superstition was that such human children were the reincarnations of fallen shinigami. Perhaps it was her shinigami breeding.

"Well I will need to speak to him, but I need to speak to..."

WOOOOOOSH Thud. All of a sudden Ginrei found himself tackled by a blonde haired, bereted blur, a spikey black haired blur and a second blonde haired blur. "GINREIIIIIIIIIIII!" Shinji, Rose and Love pulled on the elderly Kuchiki's arms. "Come have a drink with us! We haven't seen you in foreeeveerrrrr." They squealed.

Ginrei ended up blinking in surprise. "Shinji.... is that... oh my... well I have business at the Kurosaki residence I must..."

"Business? We haven't seen you since the end of the Spanish Lady and all you can talk about is business? Damnit man, you aren't even a captain anymore you need to have some fun before you die!" Love teased. "There's this absolutely awesome bar."

"For which I will need the gigai I will pick up there." Ginrei had always had his hands full with these three. The four of them would go drinking together. Shinji was the only one of his generation of captains that Ginrei would allow to show physical affection, and had been tripping over himself to try and have some of that affection returned. He supposed if his body were younger he'd be more interested. Shinji tended to cling and whine in a tone much more immature than he actually was. "Come on Ginrei-dono." Shinji begged. "Come have a good time for old time's sake." (1)

"I have business at the Kurosaki residence." Ginrei insisted.

"Funny thing, so do we, I promised Ichigo a training session months ago."

Karin watched the four men. "So you three are soul reapers too?"

"Soul reapers? Don't be stupid. We're vaizards." Shinji growled. "We were exiled from the soul society a long time ago and then I never saw my adorable little Ginrei again. Who's going to plait embarassing things into his hair while he's asleep? Or pull practical jokes on him at random moments? Or cling to him embarassingly." Shinji decided to play around with the girl. "Who are you anyway?"

"Karin Kurosaki, Ichigo's little sister." Karin bristled, tossing her soccer ball in one hand. "And you better tell me what you were gonna train Ichigo in or else."

"or else what? You'll throw spitballs in my hair?" Shinji teased, pinching Karin's cheek.

In an instant a glowing blue soccer ball hit Shinji in the face, knocking him over and whizzing out over the trees. The ball hit an oak tree not far from them and bounced back towards Karin.

Ginrei blinked in surprise.

"Did that girl just... use a Hado?" Love blinked in surprise. "rose am I seeing things?"

"I saw what you saw, that thing looked just like a hado 33, all you gotta do is take away the soccer ball and launch it from the hands."

"Ow..." Shinji groaned. "That almost hurt as much as Hiyori's sandal." He picked himself up from the dust.

"I must say girl, how old are you?"

"I turn twelve in two weeks." Karin growled. "My twin can't see spirits but I sure can. Ichigo never tells me anything about what he does. But you three had better sing like a jail bird or else." She bounced the ball on her knees. "I'll leave the old man out of this because he's old."

Karin was suddenly on her stomach on the ground, hands bound behind her back and her butt in the air in the classic Bakudo 1, sai, restraint. Ginrei dusted his hands off. "Don't think for a moment that just because I'm old I can't put you over my knee Kurosaki Karin. I came to be introduced to your brother and to discuss his dowry as my grandson's intended. I may have retired from the captaincy but I am /not/ weak."

"INTENDED?" Shinji gawked. "you're fucking kidding me. Oh thats just lovely."

Karin growled, wriggling in the bakudo 1. She closed her eyes, remembering the rush of air as Toushiro had stopped the hollow's blow. Charged with spirit energy. Ginrei was stunned, but not surprised. He'd expected that bakudo to last at least thirty seconds more before she wormed her way out. The blast of spiritual energy Karin let off was a surprise though. An instant later, the soccer ball impacted on the back of his head. "If you aren't so weak, then give me some answers Old Man."

Ginrei's face barely twitched, "Thats up to your father and your brother."

Karin growled. And in an instant she had leapt towards him in a powerful kick. "I want answers NOW! I've been stuck worrying about Ichi-nii enough. He won't ever tell me anything. And sometimes, I can see it in his eyes, he suffers for what he does. Whatever it is he won't tell me, he won't let me take some of that burden off his shoulders."

"You think you can do what your brother does?" Ginrei caught Karin's kick on the back of his wrist, a crafty smile on his face that confused Karin. "I'll tell you what. Let me show you something I showed my grandson a long time ago." Karin suddenly had a hand on her forehead, charged with a gentle, tingling energy. "If you can launch a hado using that ball as a focal point, and escape from my bakudo, then there's a good chance this will work."

His hand on her face caused Karin to black out, the buzzing energy causing her forehead to tingle. The tingle went down into her spine.

Instantly Karin was in a long corridor of doors. Doors, doors, and doors. "woah..." Karin cried.

She heard Ginrei's voice in her mind. "Find the right door. You'll find your power at the end. But be warned you might not like what's in some of them."

Karin ran down the corridor, searching and searching. Until she tripped. Karin blinked, wrapped around her waist was a red ribbon. "Huh?" the ribbon lead back the way she came into a door. "THIS ONE!" Karin opened the door and groaned. It was another corridor of doors, the ribbon lead around a corner. "oh wonderful, you psyched me out!" Karin ran down the next corridor, slamming the door shut behind her. "huh, they changed colors!" Karin realized that the doors in the previous corridor were red. These were orange. "Okee dokee, time to keep running."

the ribbon lead into another door. When Karin opened it there were yellow doors stretching away. "Wait a minute, red, orange, yellow... its a rainbow! If this pattern keeps up, then the way out should be in a corridor with purple doors."

"Very good, you can notice patterns. But I am surprised the ribbon appeared so soon." Ginrei's voice called to Karin. "Why don't you try opening the wrong door."

"What will happen?"

"Do it and see."

Karin turned, then opened one of the yellow doors. Looking inside it she blinked in surprise. The memory flashed back to her with the force of a tidal wave, the day after her mother died. Ichigo was crying his eyes out, walking back and forth in circles around the spot she died, calling piteously for mom. Karin watched him, completely numb. "WE HAVE TO KEEP GOING! Ichi-nii! Its not your fault! You didn't do anything!" Ichigo didn't hear her. "YOU IDIOT!" Karin tried to punch Ichigo, was about to remind him that their mother's death wasn't his fault. That he was the older brother and he was supposed to be strong for them, not be weeping by the river like a ninny. The truth was, Karin wanted so badly to cry right then, and she couldn't.

Karin went through her brother. In an instant she was back in the corridor, the yellow door swinging shut.

"Shinigami are not just facilitators of the cycle of life and death, we are also guardians of, and creatures of memory. Yet our memories often fade away as we grow older. What you are looking at is the part of your subconscious mind that stores all these memories, all these thoughts, this is where they go. It is the place beneath your inner world. You can use this corridor to go back to those memories and those thoughts and hear them. Even a hundred years later you can view snippets of your life."

"So every one of these doors is a memory."

"Exactly, but the one you want, at the very end, that is the true prize. Go, see if you can recognize it."

Karin ran following the ribbon. Another door swung open. Green, green doors now. "What do the colors on the doors mean anyway?" She called out.

"There are energy centers in the human form known as chakras, the door colors represent the chakra you're moving through. When you reach the third eye chakra, you are in the last corridor, and you should find a golden door at the other end with an image on it. The image depends on what is a significant symbol to /you/."

"So I don't even know what's behind it?"

"No, you do not. Unless you get there yourself."

Karin was running down the corridor, following the red ribbon. Then she turned through another door, a corridor with blue doors. This corridor was strange, it was filled with music. Every sort of music that Karin liked but playing all at once so that it jingled and jangled into a chaotic mix of melody and rhythmn. "Hmmmm, so much noise, you must have many crowded thoughts." Ginrei commented as he observed Karin's activities.

Karin opened one of the doors, but came out a second later with her hair standing on end and her ears ringing. "What gives?"

"You're in the throat chakra, its the chakra that has to do with speaking and sound. If that corridor is noisy it means that your thoughts are cluttered. You'll have to practice meditation to clear the noise away."

Karin grumbled. "Whaddyou think I am a monk?"

"All shinigami must learn to meditate. It is the best way to unlock their powers."

"I'm not a shinigami."

"You could be."

"???????????" Karin demanded.

"Ichigo inherited his shinigami powers from his father, as have you."

"wait a min... minute... what are you saying?" Karin demanded.

"Thats what I was coming to talk to him about, we are old colleagues he and I. Don't look like that." Ginrei growled. "He was too chicken to say anything to either you or Ichigo, and until recently did not want his children involved with the shinigami. That is why he didn't say anything. He left the soul society in disgrace, and if I'd found out he was doing it he'd likely be in jail and you never having been born. But time heals wounds. I'm no longer a captain, and no longer have to turn him in if I see him. Ichigo fell in love with my grand son, and to make my Byakuya happy I am coming to extend an olive branch to him.

"Your powers, and his have been sealed from birth, but Rukia accidentally unlocked Ichigo's powers by illegally transferring her powers to him. What she didn't realize was that this way, the way I am showing you, will unlock your own powers, without any having to be transferred to you. If you could inadvertantly summon a kidou with that soccer ball, you have a lot of potential my girl. You could walk your own path as a shinigami, not have to wait at home for your brother to open up to you. Ichigo has gone through a rough time lately, and I doubt he'll open up to you for quite awhile. He carries a very heavy burden. This way, you get the answers you seek, and get to be in touch with a heritage you likely never would have known otherwise. And unlike how Ichigo got his powers this method is perfectly legal."

"B... but..."

"If you don't want to, you can turn around and go back the way you came."

"Never. I never back down from a challenge. But Ichinii, what happened to him?"

"A very twisted and evil person created a virus that affects the reproductive organs, it gave him the reproductive system of a woman in addition to his natural male body. But the details he will likely give you when you return home. I will have a word with him and Byakuya about you both getting instruction in Kidou."

Karin turned, and charged down the noisy corridor. The instant she opened the door to the dimly lit violet corridor, she had to struggle even to see. The light was dim, but very luminous. And the air was buzzing with some kind of energy that tingled her body. "It tingles."

"The third eye is the seat of all psychic abilities. Tell me child, have you been able to sense hollows appearing?"

"Yes, I have. It used to be that every time a hollow came nearby I'd get this horrible headache. You're saying this third eye was to blame?"

"Yes, its a sign that your father wasn't able to seal your powers completely. But it is quite common for weaker fighters to be subdued by the spiritual pressure of a stronger fighter, without the other even having to lift a finger. I'm not surprised that you would have been sick every time a hollow came around that was too strong for you to handle. But I think every time you fight one, you get a little bit more stamina and are able to fight more."

Karin began to run down the corridor. Eager to get away from the pressure and tingling atmosphere of the corridor. Not to mention the light in there was dim, almost like moonlight.

At the end was a golden door, on it was a pawprint. "its a pawprint on the door." Karin frowned. "Is that all?"

"If thats all thats on it, then yes. Go ahead, open."

Karin gawked, she was by the ocean, standing in a ruined athletic amphetheater with one side open to the sea. There were soccer goals at either end, but with sand instead of grass. The waves lapped over the shore. "WOAH!" Karin exclaimed.

"This is your inner world. Every shinigami has one. Its a place you can go to talk to your zanpakuto. Its your refuge, your last defense. You can let other people's zanpakuto in. You can even let other people in if your zanpakuto allows it. But be careful about who, or how often. Do you see anyone?"

"Anyone?"

"Your spirit should appear in a few moments. If it doesn't, don't worry, it doesn't always."

"Speak for yourself old timer, but out." A voice echoed everywhere at once.

Then an enormous white wolf, with three tails, huge snowy feathered wings and flames covering his paws dropped from above. "Well well well." He landed next to Karin. "Look who finally decided to show up."

"Wh... who are you?"

"I can't tell you that now can I? It would spoil the fun!" The wolf lands next to Karin. "But I've been with you, all of your life. You just don't remember it. Will you play with me?"

"Uh, sure."

As Karin watched, a soccer ball dropped in out of nowhere, and the wolf happily dribbled it on his head.

"As much as I hate to interrupt, we must get Karin home." Ginrei reminded him.

"Oh fine, i'll come looking for you later Karin!"

* * *

In an instant, Karin was jerked out of the trance that accompanied her inner world. She looked up at Ginrei, blinking in surprise. "That was all real?"

"yes, now lets get you home."

Karin nodded, she looked over at Shinji and his friends. Shinji sighed. "Rose, Love, go on home. We'll meet at Nephlim's later for drinks." (2)

"Kay. See you!" The other two vaizard left.

* * *

Ichigo returned home to find that Ginrei was running late, Karin wasn't there either. So he and Byakuya headed upstairs. "Mmmm, wanna have some fun while we wait?" He asked, grinning impishly.

Byakuya chuckled, pulling Ichigo into a deep, demanding kiss. Ichigo responded ardently, wrapping his arms around Byakuya's neck. Byakuya reached into his pocket for a glove just like Rukia's. He pulled it on and easily ejected from his gigai. Ichigo carefully guided the faux body to the ground, then moved to Byakuya in his true body, slipping out of his pants and underwear and leaving the t-shirt. Byakuya hung his haori over the edge of the bed, then removed his hakama, obi and fundoshi. He scooped Ichigo into his arms, laying him back on the bed.

Ichigo spread his arms and legs out, and Byakuya started at Ichigo's neck and began to kiss and lick his way down. Ichigo groaned, his body responding immediately and powerfully. Everywhere Byakuya touched him burned, and as Byakuya took his dick in his mouth and swallowed it, Ichigo screamed in pleasure.

Byakuya swirled his tongue around the head, hollowing his cheeks, drawing out moans and screams and all sorts of sounds Ichigo didn't look capable of making. He began to bob up and down, sliding Ichigo's dick in and out of his mouth. As he did so he slipped three fingers into Ichigo's mouth. Ichigo sucked on them, slickening the digits while Byakuya worked his erection with his mouth.

Then Ichigo felt his balls clench, his hands worked into Byakuya's hair and he screamed in pleasure as he came. Byakuya growled low in his throat, swallowing every drop before he pulled away, pressing his slickened digits into Ichigo's entrance. Ichigo groaned, utterly relaxed from his koi's oral pleasuring. Byakuya carefully worked his entry, mindful of the fact that his koi might be pregnant. They'd see, in a week or so.

Ichigo grinned stupidly as Byakuya positioned himself outside his koibito's entrance. Byakuya leaned down to kiss him, sliding in deftly. Ichigo groaned, letting his body adjust to his lover's length. Byakuya waited until Ichigo was ready, then began to thrust. Slowly at first, then faster and faster. Ichigo wrapped his arms around Byakuya's neck, rolling his hips with his koi's movements.

Byakuya shifted his angle and began to pound Ichigo's prostate. Ichigo called out Byakuya's name with each impact. Ichigo felt himself nearing his peak and started to writhe. Byakuya took Ichigo's erection in his hands and started to pump it in time with his thrusts. Ichigo screamed, coming hard into his lover's hand. A few moments later Byakuya groaned spilling into Ichigo's body.

Ichigo flopped back on the bed spread eagle and Byakuya pulled out. The two of them flopped on the bed, and it was only then that they heard someone singing. No, two voices.

_In a crooked little town, they were lost and never found  
Fallen leaves, fallen leaves, fallen leaves... on the ground_

_I hitched a ride, until the coast  
To leave behind, all of my ghosts  
Searching for something, I couldn't find at home _

Ichigo groaned, sat up and ran to the window. What he saw made him sputter.

Karin was riding piggy back on Shinji's shoulders. The two of them were singing a duet. Walking alongside them was an old man, with a scarf that looked kind of like Byakuya's and a long face. Almost as if in perfect concert, Shinji sang the verses and Karin the refrain, weaving their voices in a way Ichigo had never heard his sister do.

_Can't get no job, can you spare a dime?  
Just one more hit, and I'll be fine  
I swear to God, this'll be my one last time!_

_In a crooked little town, they were lost and never found  
Fallen leaves, fallen leaves, fallen leaves... on the ground  
Run away before you drown, or the streets will beat you down  
Fallen leaves, fallen leaves, fallen leaves... on the ground _

Then Zangetsu sputtered. **Hello!** He replied. **No I'm fine, there's no rain today, its quite sunny. Its been that way since Ichigo and Byakuya got together.**

**Who are you talking to Zangetsu?**

**Ichigo, your sister, unfocus your eyes.**

**Huh?**

**do it!**

_When it gets dark, in Pigeon Park  
Voice in my head, will soon be fed  
By the vultures, that circle round the dead!_

_In a crooked little town, they were lost and never found  
Fallen leaves, fallen leaves, fallen leaves... on the ground  
Run away before you drown, or the streets will beat you down  
Fallen leaves, fallen leaves, fallen leaves... on the ground _

Ichigo unfocused his eyes, and thats when he saw it spiraling behind his sister, a bright red spirit ribbon. He blinked, "N... no... NO WAY!"

"Hmmm?" Byakuya asked.

"LOOK! Karin's spirit ribbon!"

Byakuya caught the end of it, blinking in surprise. "Well... um..." He hesitated, then said. "I think it was Ginrei. He knows a way to stimulate a person's latent shinigami abilities, without transferring your power the way Rukia did. If your sister showed some kind of spiritual talent, odds are he decided to stimulate it. The way Ojiisama thinks, every shinigami who is born to shinigami parents has a right to their powers and their heritage if they can learn to use them safely."

_I never once thought, I'd ever be caught!  
Staring at sidewalks, hiding my track marks!  
I left my best friends, or did they just leave me?_

_In a crooked little town, they were lost and never found  
Fallen leaves, fallen leaves, fallen leaves... on the ground  
In a crooked little town, they were lost and never found  
Fallen leaves, fallen leaves, fallen leaves... on the ground  
Run away before you drown, or the streets will beat you down  
Fallen leaves, fallen leaves, fallen leaves... on the ground_

_Run away before you drown!  
Fallen leaves, fallen leaves, fallen leaves... on the ground  
Run away before you drown!  
Fallen leaves, fallen leaves, fallen leaves... on the ground _

"I don't know if I should scream or faint." Ichigo growled. Byakuya was getting dressed, and Ichigo paused by the sill a moment later.

"Look again Ichigo, she's smiling." Byakuya chuckled. "Get dressed. Shall we go downstairs and meet the family?" Ichigo scrambled to get his clothes back on.

Byakuya held out a hand for Ichigo to take. And Ichigo, limping slightly from their exertions, took it. They descended the stairs holding hands, and a warm feeling in the pit of Ichigo's stomach. If Karin became a shinigami, he'd have an easier job protecting his family, because one less person would need protecting.

* * *

1. While I believe that old men can have a sex life, and that Ginrei would likely have one, I'm not going to burn your eyes out pairing Ginrei with Shinji unless reader reviews REALLY REALLY want it.

2. Nephlim's fall was borrowed from Bleach mush the beginning and is a major Vaizard hang out.


	10. Chapter 10

Notes: I got two "No" votes as far as shinji and ginrei. Looks like shinji's crush is gonna have to be unrequited. ;.; but who do I put Ginrei with? Just because he's old doesn't mean he doesn't deserve someone! He's a nice person, a bit stuffy but thats no reason for him not to have a sex life! ;.;

I've now seen "Aftermath world without oil" "Age of stupid" and awhile ago "Earth 2100" and while they're all very good god I swear I'll never drink bottled water or ride in an airplane again! ;.; did you know that one trans atlantic flight can break the carbon budget for a family for three years? appearantly the worst thing you can do to help global warming happen besides burn down a forest is to to ride in an airplane. So I bought a new book, Living Like Ed, to be my guide to being green. I reccomend Aftermath, Stupid and 2100 to those who like end of the world things and like to be scared. Be warned, "Aftermath" may have a happy ending, but "Stupid" and "2100" both have a sad, a very sad, ending. And sensitive people or young children will be frightened by the latter two.

* * *

Urahara had left a gigai for Ginrei in the infirmary. And so Isshin met the Kuchiki elder at the door, shook his hand, and lead him quietly past Yuzu to the clinic part of the house. A few seconds later Isshin led him in the door. "And this is Yuzu."

"Hello!" she said cheerfully. "Tea?" she asked perkily.

"Thats fine thank you." Ginrei got a small smile.

"Thats Yuzu, someone strange comes to visit and her first reaction is hospitality." Karin chuckled. Then Ichigo came down the stairs, hand in hand with Byakuya.

"ICHINII!" Karin cried, tackling Ichigo and giving him a huge hug. "Ginrei-dono, thanks for everything. I'm gonna go find Toushiro! Oh my god, I'm gonna be late for soccer practice!" She bounced up and gave Ichigo a kiss on the cheek before grabbing her soccer ball and running out the door.

Ichigo blinked. "What did..."

"She saw her zanpakuto spirit." Shinji replied with a dumb grin. "Thats why she wanted to sing, she was really happy."

"How did you..."

"I simply did an exercise with her that I did with Byakuya when he was young." Ginrei replied. "isshin, its been years, how have you been?"

"Well, I got most of my old strength back, took awhile. Um... we basically need to explain about shinigami to Yuzu. Ichigo are you ready for that? Just basic stuff, we'll explain about the Fever when Karin gets back from practice."

"Yeah, okay fair enough."

* * *

Hitsugaya was waiting in a tree by the park, but Karin hadn't shown up for practice.

Ever since the incident in which Hitsugaya saved Karin and her soccer team mates from a hollow, Hitsugaya would come to Karin's practice to watch. But today she wasn't here. He was about to leave when he heard Hyourinmaru sputter in surprise. **You're kidding me... uummmm... **

An instant later Karin popped into Hitsugaya's field of vision, hanging upside down from the branch above him. "TOUSHIRO!"

"Thats captain Hitsugaya to... OOOF!" Karin hugged him, still hanging upside down. "What's with you today?"

Karin had a dumb grin. "Lift my spirit ribbon and see!"

Hitsugaya blinked, he'd never told Karin how to sense by spirit ribbon, what was... Hitsugaya did as she suggested. And when it came back red he blinked in surprise. "How did you do that? Where did you..."

"I was told I inherited it, the ability was just latent. I saw my zanpakuto spirit too."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and Ginrei-dono is gonna be teaching me kido!"

"Hmmm, well you might have a talent there. I was surprised at your soccer ball attack myself." Hitsugaya replied. "But who'd you inherit it from?"

"My dad, appearantly."

"What was his name, maybe I've heard of him."

"Isshin, Isshin Kurosaki."

Hitsugaya blinked. "I remember when I was newly made tenth captain, I did a little research on all the captains for the past hundred years. Isshin Kurosaki disappeared. He was third captain before Gin."

"Wow." Karin blinked in surprise.

"I'm surprised too, I knew you were strong, but we always thought Kurosaki got his powers from Rukia. Aw crap..."

"What?"

"Well we aren't sure why Kurosaki developed an inner hollow. We think the damage that Byakuya did to him when they first met might be to blame. But for all we know, if his power was an inherited gift rather than a given one, you could easily end up with the same danger. And that could be a problem. Of course, if I could ask a Vaizard a few questions, I might be able to find out how probable a danger it is."

"Vaizard? Why didn't you say so? A bunch of them tried to get Ginrei-dono to go drinking with them. My brother hangs around with them a lot. If you hurry, you can still meet shinji." Karin dropped to the branch next to Hitsugaya. "Um... from what he told Ginrei-dono, I think he was a former captain too! He might be able to answer you."

"Then I'd better get moving. I do have some questions to ask him."

Karin blinked, Hitsugaya was just gone. "WAIIIIIT TOUSHIROOO!"

Instantly he was back. "What? Oh, I forgot, you haven't learned to flash step. Ummm, make your feet, /feel/ fast. Push your energy into your feet, take a step and..."

Karin fell over. "That wasn't funny, who do you think you are Peter pan?"

"Never heard of him. I think its best if you ride along then."

"Ride along?"

"Take my hand." Hitsugaya held out his hand. "The youngest captain to the newest shinigami, let me show you the ways of our people."

Karin took Hitsugaya's hand, and all of a sudden they were off and running. Her feet felt so light, and it was easy to keep up with Hitsugaya. By the time they arrived at the Kurosaki household, Karin was laughing. Hitsugaya turned aside at Ichigo's window, realizing there might be something young eyes weren't meant to see if he went in there, landing at the door. Karin squealed in delight, hair poofed out from the speed.

Shinji was outside smoking a cigar. "Shinjiiiiiii, you shouldn't smoke its a bad habit!"

"Yes, but soon Byakuya will have to give out Cigars. They've been waiting for you to tell the both of you the news. And by now, Karin, Yuzu knows about shinigami. So you can speak openly in front of her." He peered at Hitsugaya. "And who's this?"

"Tenth division captain, Toushiro Hitsugaya, and I had some questions to ask you about being a vaizard. I hope you don't... consider the questioning an intrusion. I do have a reason to want to..."

Shinji peered down at Hitsugaya. "Aw what the heck, you're kinda... hot... tell you what Toushiro, I'll tell you everything you want to know if you'll come on a date with me."

"A... a... DATE?" Hitsugaya's eyes about popped out.

"Of course, if you don't want an answer to your questions."

"Um..." Hitsugaya blushed. He'd never been on a true date. He had, on several occasions, allowed Gin to... do... things with him. But that had been mainly because nobody wanted to have sex with him. They didn't think that he was interested. Only Perverted old Gin Ichimaru had wanted him, and gin had been rough, more interested in his pleasure than Hitsugaya's.

Shinji blinked, this was a captain with baggage on him. He could tell from the way Hitsugaya blushed, and yet looked worried at the same time. He smiled warmly. "Don't worry Hitsugaya, I'm a considerate date." He held out his hand cordially to Hitsugaya. "Let me guess, it can't have been Kyouraku, he's an extremely attentive and considerate lover despite his libido, perhaps Gin decided to make you his plaything?"

"How...." Hitsugaya's eyes widened, "Karin go inside."

"Have fun on your daaaate." Karin teased.

"Gin... lusted... after me. I wanted relief. Nobody thought I was interested in sex. I... and then Gin was so rough!" Hitsugaya blushed. "I was... I thought there was something wrong with me. But... how did you know...?"

Shinji blinked in surprise at the response he got. And then something in his heart sank. "I know more about Gin's behavior than you might think." He pulled the white haired captain into his arms, it was his automatic reaction to Hitsugaya's confusion. Hitsugaya started to squirm, memories of what Gin had done running a million miles an hour through his head. Then Shinji leaned down and whispered in his ear. "Trust me, that is not... how sex is supposed to feel. And odds are you probably aren't the only person he's hurt. Please, Toushiro Hitsugaya, let me show you how it should be. A former captain to a current one?"

The blush on Hitsugaya's face deepened. Shinji turned Hitsugaya's chin up to look at him. "I'm a good old fashioned lover boy." (1) Shinji pleaded. "And you're too pretty to stay hurt." Shinji's determination to sway Ginrei to him faded. If Gin had had his way with Hitsugaya, the poor boy must have a very warped idea of what sex was supposed to feel like. Sex should be the... ultimate expression not just of pleasure but of trust, and warmth, and caring.

Shinji put out his cigar. Then leaned down to try and kiss Hitsugaya. To his surprise the white haired captain wrinkled his nose and turned his head away. "What is it?"

"Your breath smells like Tobacco." Hitsugaya dug into his pocket, pulled out a package of Altoids and popped one into Shinji's mouth. "Chew it, swallow it, then try that again. If I like what you do, then I'll let you show me."

Shinji blinked, realizing that Hitsugaya was going to allow the kiss. He just didn't like the smell. The mint was /really/ strong, Shinji rather liked the taste. But he chewed it up and swallowed it, then, laughing, he pulled Hitsugaya up to kiss him.

Hitsugaya had to fight the urge to run, for the barest moment it wasn't Shinji kissing him, but Gin. And then... Shinji was too gentle to possibly be Gin, pressing his lips softly against Hitsugaya's coaxing him into a response. Then Hitsugaya began to respond, returning the kiss, and as he did so he felt a jolt of desire roll from his lips, to the pit of his stomach, to his thighs and his cock. He felt the vaizard nibble at his lower lip, begging entry. Hitsugaya opened his mouth, and felt Shinji's tongue twine with his. He had a piercing, which felt strange rubbing against the inside of his mouth. Hitsugaya groaned, they pulled apart for air.

"So, you like?"

Hitsugaya's answer was a tomato blush, then to pull Shinji into another kiss, looping his arms around the blonde vaizard's neck. Shinji chuckled, "I take that as a yes."

Hitsugaya nodded. "I'm afraid the... damage... that Gin did... I have lived with it far too long. Its time I acknowledged and faced what he did as wrong, and begun to heal."

Shinji nodded. He scooped Hitsugaya up in his arms bridal style, then the two of them were off. Shinji's flash step was far faster than his. They launched into the air and flew. Shinji took them to the warehouse district, Hitsugaya's arms around his neck the entire way. They landed outside of a warehouse, and Shinji kissed Hitsugaya one more time before they were flashstepping through the door. There were several people in the room they were in, but Shinji flash stepped past them with Hitsugaya in his arms. They arrived at a private, curtained off part of the warehouse floor. "My room." He hung the beret he was wearing on a hook, then carried Hitsugaya over to his bed, a simple futon mattress covered in quilts. There was a chest at the end of the bed and shelves on one side, as well as some lights and some kind of battery powered luminera. (2)

Hitsugaya blushed again, fumbling with his uniform. Shinji removed his shirt and jeans and underwear. His eyes turned downwards to Shinji's rapidly hardening dick. He wasn't fat, but he was long. Longer than Gin's had been. And then Hitsugaya mentally hit himself. **I have to stop thinking of Gin, or I'll chicken out and never get over this. **

"I'll be gentle, I promise." Shinji said gently. He leaned over the smaller man. "Let me... heal you." He husked, eyes darkening with desire. Hitsugaya lay back, relaxing his body and tilting his head back, which Shinji took as a gesture to keep going.

He bent down, taking one of Hitsugaya's nipples in his mouth. He rolled it with his teeth, lavishing the nub. He reached out with the other hand, twisting his nipple in his fingers for a few moments. Then he switched, and slowly began to work his way down Hitsugaya's stomach. He paused when Hitsugaya tensed, waiting for his body to relax again. "I'm not gin. Focus on /me/. I won't hurt you." Shinji insisted, taking hitsugaya's hands in his as he delicately licked the tenth captain's erection. Hitsugaya groaned, it felt incredible. Much better than... he forced his mind to stop the thought right there.

Shinji slowly sucked Hitsugaya's erection into his mouth. Lavishing the vein on the underside before pulling back and swirling the head in his mouth. Then he dipped his tongue in the slit, and Hitsugaya squealed, groaning in pleasure. "Sh... Shinji..." he groaned. Shinji used his tongue piercing to massage the underside of Hitsugaya's member, adding a peculiar, stimulating sensation.

"You like?" Shinji asked, licking delicately at the shaft like it was some kind of lollypop. He took the other's balls in his hand, massaging and seperating the balls with his thumb. At the same time he took Hitsugaya in his mouth and throated him.

"YES YES YES!" Hitsugaya screamed in pleasure and came, hard. Shinji swallowed every drop, licking his lips. Hitsugaya just flopped on his back, eyes wide, shivering as he savored the sensation. Shinji sat up, and then scooped Hitsugaya up in his arms and turned him over. "you think thats good, wait until I get inside you." Shinji husked.

Hitsugaya wriggled, panic overcoming him again for a moment. Then Shinji leaned in and whispered. "I'm not him Toushiro. I'm me." shinji took in that elegant body beneath him, and he saw what must have frightened Hitsugaya. Hitsugaya had scars on his lower back and butt, scars that looked like the marks of a zanpakuto.

Shinji realized what must have happened, and it tore at his heart when he realized what Gin had done to Hitsugaya. "Toushiro?"

"He said..." Hitsugaya tried to hold his tears back. "Now I'll be marked, and nobody will ever want me but him."

"He did this with Shinso?"

"Yes." Hitsugaya began to shake, tears coming to his eyes.

Shinji leaned down, wrapping his arms tightly around the white haired taichou's waist and burying his face in his hair. "When i see gin again, I will make him PAY for what he did to you!" Shinji growled, suddenly feeling extremely protective of the diminutive captain. "I won't hurt you... and if I have my way I'll cut that smirk right off Gin's face the next time I see him." He said with a low growl. "D... do you still want to do this?"

"YES. If I back away now, I'll never be able to enjoy it." Hitsugaya replied.

Shinji pulled out a bottle of lubricant, slickening his fingers and pressing the first digit into Hitsugaya's entry. "Relax your body, and breathe deeply, it won't hurt as much and more oxygen getting to your limbs will increase the pleasure." (3)

Hitsugaya tried to follow his advice. Shinji slid the second finger in and bent down to whisper in his ear. "I want to make you... scream in ecstasy..."

Hitsugaya was about to say something, but then Shinji touched the one sweet center that Gin never touched. He screamed in pleasure, writhing beneath Shinji's fingers. Gin had never touched that place. It had ached to be touched and he never did. Shinji paused, reaching up to kiss the back of Hitsugaya's neck before stroking the spot again.

Hitsugaya was in heaven. Every touch sent white spots dancing in front of his eyes and pleasure rolling over his consciousness. As Shinji's fingers pleasured his form, Hitsugaya felt his body heaving, panting, a sheen of sweat breaking out on his body as if he'd been working out. His eyes turned dark and dusky with lust. His cheeks and body were flushed. It was like all his carefully placed methods of self control had just disappeared, up in smoke. And he loved it.

Then Shinji removed his fingers, placing something much more satisfying at Hitsugaya's entrance. "Ready?"

"Yes..." and this time Hitsugaya could say that without hesitation. The carnal desire for release was winning out over the trauma Gin had inflicted on him. Shinji took it slowly and carefully, pressing into Hitsugaya's body an inch at a time, kissing and sucking the skin at the back of his neck, grinning when he left a hickie.

And when he sank his length fully into the slim form beneath him, the tightness around Shinji's member was maddening. Shinji wrapped his arms protectively around the thin form beneath him, giving the both of them time to process the sensations moving through them.

Then Shinji started to thrust into the body beneath him, using every trick he knew to stimulate pleasure over pain. In his pleasure hazed mind, he still remembered that the important thing here was for Hitsugaya to associate pleasure with the act of sex, rather than emotional anguish and pain.

After a minute or so Shinji shifted angle, and Hitsugaya screamed in pleasure. "SHINJIIIIIIIIII!" He cried in ecstasy. Then as he writhed in pleasure beneath Shinji he couldn't stop yammering his name. "Shinji! Shinjishinjishinjishinji...."

Shinji grinned stupidly, the writhing and wriggling of Hitsugaya's body tightened and loosened the heat encasing him. He reached down and nibbled delicately on Hitsugaya's ear.

That did it. Hitsugaya groaned, screaming Shinji's name one last time as he plummeted over the edge into orgasm. A moment later Shinji came, hard, spilling his seed into Hitsugaya's body. Hitsugaya groaned as Shinji withdrew, snuggling into his grip, for once savoring the feel of cum searing his insides rather than feeling soiled. It left an afterglow to bask in. And Hitsugaya wanted more.

Shinji didn't say anything, he didn't want to speak, at this point words might ruin the mood. Hitsugaya was so relaxed in his arms. Even if he'd just met the diminuative captain he realized that this was not a personality that opened up easily. This was someone who valued self control, to whom the spontaneity and relaxation of sex was not something he was used to.

A light snore surprised Shinji. Hitsugaya had fallen asleep in his arms, mumbling something about Matsumoto and Paperwork before snuggling deeper into Shinji's grip.

* * *

"So its decided. The dowry for Ichigo's betrothal will be renovations to the clinic and the house. In the mean time you'll be staying at an abandoned Kuchiki residence in the main compound. I assure you it is in great condition and ready to move in. Its the dwelling closest to our personal senkaimon, which means the girls will be able to leave for school through it. However, Ichigo, Byakuya, I think it would be better if you spent this time with the two arrancar. They will need your support to adapt to their changes in circumstance."

Karin and Yuzu cheered, eager to see the Soul society their father came from, and to be there when their older brother had a baby. "And dad, I might be home a little late. I'll probably be doing my homework at the Tenth."

"Don't forget young lady, once this 'homework' is done you'll be taking kido lessons. Rukia and I will be instructing you in the basics." Ginrei warned her. "And I am a strict taskmaster. If you are late, you'll be in trouble."

**I can't wait to meet the other zanpakuto! You'll love the soul society Karin! You'll wonder how you ever lived anywhere else!**

**How do you know, you've never been there!**

**All zanpakuto know these things Karin. Trust me. I did come from you after all.**

"We'd better get packing." Ichigo got up, stretched and tugged Byakuya up the stairs to his room. He reached up to kiss Byakuya on the lips, then pulled some bags out from under the dresser and began to fill them with clothing and personal belongings.

Then he opened a drawer. "Kon, get up, we're going to soul society."

"What? Oh noeeees, what happened? Is it Rukia? IS RUKIA IN TROUBLE?"

"What are you going on about?"

"OH ICHIGO! I HAD THE MOST HORRIBLE DREAM! I DREAMED NOBODY KNEW WHO RUKIA WAS! THEY DIDNT REMEMBER US EITHER! IT WAS LIKE NEECHAN NEVER EXISTED!"

"Relax, it was a nightmare."

"BUT IT WAS THE WORST OF POSSIBLE NIGHTMARES!" Kon wailed.

Ichigo grabbed Kon by the face. "Just shut up." He moved to the radio and shuffled through his CD's. "I need something to relax." He sighed, putting on a punk rock version of Rihanna's umbrella. (4)

"So why are we going to soul society a..." As Kon watched Ichigo kissed Byakuya on the lips. "OH MY GOD! ICHIGO WHY THE HELL ARE YOU KISSING A DUDE?"

"You aren't homophobic are you Kon?"

"Just as long as he doesn't touch me while I'm in your body I don't care. So what's this all about."

Ichigo looked at Byakuya, and realized that the gentle approach was probably not best. "Um... well it started when Aizen tested this virus that allows a man to have children, and throws them into a state of uncontrollable lust on his arrancar, he tested it on grimmjow, who dragged me away interested in sex, which scared me half to death but I relaxed a bit once we got into it. Renji followed Grimmjow back to his crash pad. Renji and I had sex with Grimmjow, and Grimmjow ended up giving me the virus. So when the lust part kicked in I got Uryu, Renji and Byakuya to have... er... several foursomes.

"WHAT THE HELL WHY? Oh Ichigo you bad boy. Wait, do I have to worry about /three/ guys trying to feel me up in your body?"

"No, thank god. Renji and Uryu decided to shack up with each other. So its just me and Byakuya now. But here's the kicker. Today Grimmjow and Ulquiorra showed up saying they wanted to change sides, and guess what? Grimmjow is pregnant with me and Renji's and Ulquiorra's kids. And Ulquiorra is also pregnant with multiples, one of them Grimmjow's the other some of the other Espada.

"Wooooo hoooooo, looks like the strawberry got around." Kon sniggered. "Wait a minute, you had the virus too and you did THREE guys! Why aren't you pregnant?"

"Wow, you're smarter than I gave you credit for. I might be, but its too early to tell. Unohana said she needed another two weeks. But Byakuya's grandfather isn't waiting. He decided to negotiate a dowry for me to marry Byakuya when I get out of high school."

"Nobles actually pay people to marry them?" Kon asked. This time Byakuya was the one who grabbed Kon by the face.

"Its a time honored tradition for Noble family's to give gifts to the family of their childrens intended."

"And what did you give them?"

"The Kuchiki clan will be paying for a renovation of the clinic and the residence itself. One floor up for the family and we'll be buying the empty property next door and expanding the clinic into it. While thats being done the Kurosakis will be living at the Kuchiki clan compound. Now Ichigo what exactly is this... thing...? some kind of pet?"

"His name is Kon." Ichigo sighed a little in impatience, Kon flailed as Byakuya stuck his hand in the mod soul's mouth and pulled out the pill.

"a mod soul? In a stuffed toy?" Byakuya put the pill back in. "Curious." Kon began to sputter and flail the instant Byakuya put him back in.

"Rukia rescued Kon from being taken back and destroyed by Urahara. She got him for me to take care of my body when I leave it, which is why I wanted to tell him about the possibility of my being pregnant. He has to take care of my body if I have to leave it. But Kon tends to be really tempramental. I thought he'd probably be homophobic."

"Hell no, sex is sex. I'm just not into men. Though its clear now why you were so clueless about Orihime being all stupid over you. You just didn't swing that way!"

Ichigo sighed. "Kon, I started to realize I was gay shortly before Rukia arrived. And when my protective instinct on the battlefield started to show, and Uryu and Renji appeared, I finally realized for certain I liked men. I just didn't /talk/ about it because I was worried about what everyone else would think."

Byakuya chuckled. "Jealous Kon? I'll bet you never get any action!"

"Don't get him started. You know the only small breasted girl he has a perverted affection for is Rukia? She's constantly having to shove his face into a wall or stomp on him or grab him by the face to keep him from flinging himself at her. And he still doesn't get it."

"I /see/." Byakuya loomed over Kon. "Well you won't be trying to grope Rukia, or look up her skirts, while you stay in the soul society. Or I'll find a stuffed toy to put you in that is pink. Or a girl. And leave you there the rest of the time you're with us. I'll even make it something Rukia doesn't like to hug. Like a Teddy bear!" (5)

"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. I'll be good! I promise! Anything but pink, girls and the teddybears!"

Byakuya chuckled, picking up Kon and placing him on his shoulder. "Then we will get along quite well."

Ichigo finished his packing and Byakuya reached down to take one of the bags.

An hour later, Ichigo, Byakuya, Karin and Yuzu used the senkaimon at Urahara shoten to enter the soul society. Isshin stayed behind long enough to secure everything for the renovations to come and would be at the Kuchiki manner with Ginrei in the morning.

* * *

1. Good old fashioned lover boy is a song by Steve McQueen, aka Queen. I found a yaoi slideshow to it. That was probably my first time hearing Queen. I hear he was gay, so I figured it fit.

2. I have two of the febreeze flameless luminera, and if you let the shade sit for more than a week the scent goes away and it becomes just a decoration, which is what shinji is doing with his.

3. Tantra, the Buddist sect that practices enlightenment through sex advises that for a stronger orgasm, breathe deeply, move slowly, relax your muscles, and foreplay for awhile before you get down to the main event.

4. Search on youtube, Vanilla Sky Umbrella for the song. Its very pleasant.

5. In her sketches, Rukia always shows the hollows as teddy bears and the good guys as bunnies. And she seems to like Kurodo for the same reason.


	11. Chapter 11

Notes: Okay, here's how this is going to work. once Unrest and switch reach chapter 15, I'm going to update them and Heartsbond five chapters at a time. 5 HB, 5 Unrest, 5 Switch, in that order.

* * *

Zephly was angry, very, very angry. Marvin the martian "you make me so angry" angry. Kill something for the sake of killing it angry. "THEY WHAAAAAAATTTTT?"

"They're gone." Kamrin replied. "They defected to the shinigami and fled."

"So the shinigami are interested in stealing my research hmmm? Well, I'm about ready to give them more of my research than they can handle. Tell Aizen I've finished the second strain of the reproduction virus. And very soon I'll have the emergency response time of their defenses of Karakura. Get Foarmin and Cheiz down here. We're going on a raid."

* * *

The alarm went off in the twelfth division. "Espada! Its an Espada!" Rin ran for Akon, who sounded the alarm.

Instantly Yumichika, Ikkaku, and Rangiku dropped what they were doing in the human world and ran for the location specified.

Hitsugaya had been half asleep in Shinji's arms when his soul pager went off. "Espada! In the human world? SHINJI GET UP! We have to go!"

Shinji yawned and stretched. "Alright alright I'm coming. We can't fight them on our own. Want me to grab some of my friends? Kensei's pretty strong."

"Rangiku, Ikkaku and Yumichika are stationed in the human world in the event of an arrancar attack. They'll be already enroute to the location. It seems they've attacked in the park."

Shinji and Hitsugaya dressed hurriedly and flew to the spot. Along the way, Rangiku flanked him. Then Ikkaku and Yumichika surged up from below. "Hitsugaya-taichou, who's your tag along?"

"Shinji Hirako, one of the vizard and formerly captain of division five." Hitsugaya said tersely.

"Aizen was my lieutenant." Shinji told the shinigami. "He entrapped me and the other vizards and attacked us in order to get our posts. Most of the current captains and lieutenants have Aizen's upheaval to thank for their jackets." Shinji added.

"Shinji is going to be teaching me basic information about the vizards. They've discovered a lot about their people since they were exiled."

"We've discovered how to stablize our transformations." Shinji explained. "Rather than creating rampaging monsters."

An explosion sounded over the horizon, "That flame... SHIELD YOUR EYES!" Hitsugaya warned.

The explosion's flame was violet hot, blindingly bright. Zephly looked up amongst the flames. Next to him were three arrancar in their ressurecion forms.

Zephly was riding on the back of a three headed dog hollow. The dog hollow looked up, howling a challenge from all three heads. Zephly grinned stupidly, flipping the bird at hitsugaya.

Hitsugaya only paused to look at the three released arrancar, the female's released form resembled a Roman centurion with a pair of elegant, spiny bone wings that extended from her back. Instead of a roman short sword she had in her hand a pilum made from glowing pale blue cero.

The first of the males has a helmet shaped like the head of a jackel. His hands and feet were dog like, almost like a werewolve's. He carried the armaments of a greek Peltast. (1) His hair was platinum blonde, like Hitsugaya's, eyes golden in keeping with the dog theme.

The second of the males was dark skinned, but he had pale blue eyes, rather striking. He was wearing the armor of a Roman Murmillo Gladiator with the face plate up. (2)

Zephly looked up at Hitsugaya, their eyes met. The three arrancar looked up and raised their zanpakuto, cero forming at the tips of their weapons. Not just any cero, gold, with a faint hint of violet to them. "Look out!" A firing squad of ceros shot at the incoming shinigami. They couldn't even get to the ground. Rangiku was hit square in the stomach by one of them, dropping like a stone.

Then Hitsugaya looked down at Zephly, eager to try and attack him. Only Zephly was gone.

Then a shadow appeared behind him. "Classic misdirection, Taichou-kun." Hitsugaya felt something nasty and sharp stick in the back of his neck. A needle? What did he want to stick him with a needle for?

Then Zephly was saying to the shinigami. "Hope you liked my special attack, Cero extincion. Extinction Cero. It recreates a miniature version of the blast that killed the dinosaurs. And you're about to experience not just extinction, but one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse as well." And he quoted a text that the shinigami rarely heard, being creatures of Japanese culture rather than christian. "_I looked and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hell was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague."_

Yumichika swung his shikai, having released it sometime in the chaos, at Zephly, only to find a knee shoved into his gut. Then Zephly shoved another needle into Yumichika's neck.

All of a sudden the barrage of ceros stopped. A garganta opened on the ground, and the three arrancar were gone. Zephly was standing in the garganta, waving over his shoulder as Hitsugaya dropped to the ground like a stone. "Taichou-kun, give Yamamoto my regards. And tell him to go fuck himself. He'll know what for."

The garganta closed behind Zephly, and Hitsugaya groaned. The injection site was burning like hell. "SHINJI!" Hitsugaya's vision was swimming, and he could barely pull out and dial his soul pager.

"Mayday, mayday....... Soul society... this is... Captain Hitsugaya... Zephly Ophiucus Ascepilas... has been sighted in Karakura... park... I've been injected with something.... its burning real bad... I can't see straight..." His distress call was broken. "We need a fire........ control....... unit....... the park is..... burning......" Hitsugaya collapsed, pain ripping through his lower body.

When the rescue party from the soul society arrived, and twelfth divisioners and kido corps members began to fight the fire, Unohana found Hitsugaya and Yumichika heavily feverish, bent over into a fetal position. Rangiku was severely burned. Shinji was favoring his right arm, having gotten a glancing blow. And Ikkaku's clothes had half been burned off him, though the third seat had been saved from severe burns by his souryoku.

Hitsugaya and Yumichika were taken back to the fourth, where Unohana examined them. When she removed their clothes, Hitsugaya and Yumichika's abdomens were black and blue and swollen. Their fevers were high.

Unohana administered an emergency fever reducer, took blood samples (which she sent to Kurotsuchi) and began to palpate the black and blue area with a glowing hand. Everything inside felt screwed up. It was almost like a controlled hemmoragic fever. She didn't like the looks of it in the least, hemmoragic fever was one of the most feared diseases in existence. Unohana had had to flee from an area of Africa she'd been studying herbalism in when the first few ebolla cases appeared, decades before. She'd narrowly missed being affected by the calamity and ever since then it was one of the diseases that kept her up at night. Zephly was thousands of years old, he had access to eons of knowledge of germs and disease and how they were spread.

Kurotsuchi called about ten minutes after she made this discovery. "Its the same virus as Ichigo. But its different this time. There's some minute differences in the genetic structure. It will take me a couple of weeks to decipher it. I need a scan of their bodies."

Both captains were concerned enough that they dispensed with the normal sneered pleasantries and veiled threats they normally exchanged when forced to work together.

"So do I."

"Unohana, their viral load is through the roof."

Unohana was scrambling with the body scanner, hands shaking. The image of Hitsugaya's lower body was displayed on a screen in front of her and in the twelfth where Kurotsuchi was trying to decode the virus.

Unohana gasped. It was like a bomb had gone off, any non vital organ in his abdominal cavity was being destroyed. Torn apart by the virus down to the reishi that made his organs. But Unohana saw also, almost immediately that new tissue was being destroyed it was being reformed into a modified female reproductive system.

"Damn." Unohana's face paled as she checked Yumichika and found the same changes being made. "This isn't good. Kurotsuchi please call Captain Yamamoto down here."

It took another ten minutes to explain what had happened to Yamamoto. Yamamoto had been debriefing Shinji, and had realized that the reasons for the attack were simple. Analyze the seireitei's emergency response time, and test the revised version of the Fever Virus.

Shinji sat by Hitsugaya's side, and Ikkaku trudged into the room in a fresh uniform. And slowly, slowly over the next few hours the angry bruises on Hitsugaya's abdomen disappeared. Hitsugaya groaned. His eyes opened. "Shinji?"

"hey Toushiro..."

"oh thats right, you can call me that now can't you?"

"If you want to make that more of a regular thing, then yes... would you like to? Yamamoto has asked me to give a series of special lectures at the shinigami academy. So we'll have some time to spend together."

"I'm glad. Right now I feel like hell. Frisky, but exhausted."

"Thats the bad news. Zephly stabbed you and Yumichika with syringes full of The Fever Virus."

"Oh nooooooooooooooooooooo..." Hitsugaya groaned. He had just barely started to confront what that bastard Gin had done to him, the littlest captain highly valued his self control.

Shinji hugged him tightly. "Yeah, its a fast acting strain rather than the one Ichigo got too. Looks like Zephly modified it. Evolving his technique."

"Aw crap, how long do I have before I'm humping someone's leg for baby juices?" Hitsugaya groaned.

"A day at most, but you're forgetting, you can hump my leg if you want. Unohana thinks the hormonal overload from the fever and childbearing could kickstart your growth. Though she wants you to start taking calcium supplements so the growth doesn't weaken your bones. You could be a handspan taller by the time we're done."

"But... I'd get /pregnant/."

"dude, my life is screwed up as it is. If you decide you want to get an abortion or put it up for adoption, doesn't matter to me. I'd like to be a dad but we're just getting to know each other."

"you actually want to try a relationship?"

"Because I know that that fever isn't you. Besides, I can turn it into a week of sexual healing..." Shinji purred.

"Shinji." Ukitake poked his head in. "I spoke with Unohana, you can borrow my little teahouse on the lake if you like."

"Thank you Ukitake-taichou, you're as helpful as always." Shinji chuckled. "Come on Hitsugaya, I'll rock your world." He reached out for the diminutive captain to hug him.

"Toushiro, please, call me Toushiro." Hitsugaya took Shinji's outstretched grip, wrapping his arms around Shinji.

* * *

Yumichika had his own private hospital room by now, and woke up to find Ikkaku asleep by his bedside, a bottle of sake abandoned on the bedside. But he woke soon after Yumichika did. "you look like hell."

"So do you. Remember how you complained you wanted a baby when Grimmjow showed up pregnant?"

"Yeah."

"You might get your chance. That damned arrancar injected you with the same virus Ichigo caught knocking Grimmjow up. Only it moves faster."

"oh?"

"yeah, it made all the modifications to your body inside of one day." Ikkaku leaned down to kiss Yumichika on the lips delicately. "Should be some time tomorrow morning that the Fever takes hold."

"So what are we going to do until then?"

"I got permission from Yamamoto-sama and Zaraki-taichou to go to that little cabin outside the West rukon. You know the one I'm talking about right?"

"yes, the place where we first had sex. I remember it all too well."

"So what do you say? Even if we walk, we'll be there by about ten pm tonight and have plenty of rest before you go all sex crazed." Ikkaku bent over Yumichika, continuing to kiss his koibito. "Which, by the way, will be very, very hot."

"You think I'm sexy that way?"

"I have no doubt that you will be. You're a very sexy person Yumichika." Ikkaku purred, rubbing their noses together endearingly.

"Thank you." Yumichika sat up, stretching. "lets get moving then."

"Isane will be coming to check on us in about a week, we have until then." Ikkaku grabbed one of the backpacks he had hidden underneath the bed and handed it to Yumichika. Yumichika changed into a fresh uniform, slipped the bag on his back, and the two lovers slipped out for a romantic hideaway.

* * *

"So I have till tomorrow morning?" Hitsugaya was still trembling, clinging to Shinji, who had sat down on the hospital bed next to him.

"Yes, as far as I can tell the virus is migrating to your hormonal glands. When that happens they'll self destruct. Its reading you as an uke due to physical build and body mass, so you will be unable to pass it to whomever you are sleeping with."

Hitsugaya snuggled against shinji. He didn't have anybody else. He didn't want to end up with some stranger. He thought if he did that he'd go crazy after what Gin had put him through.

"Unohana I er... I have a confession to make." Hitsugaya stood, drawing aside the hospital gown so Unohana could see the scars Gin had made.

"Toushiro?"

Hitsugaya winced at the pitying tone. "I wanted someone to be with, but nobody really wanted a runt like me, or even thought I was interested in sex. Gin was... lusting after me, advanced on me and I figured why the hell not? Nobody would care. But Gin was... violent and... I thought there was something wrong with me, nothing he did felt good and... then he took his zanpakuto and... and he said..." Hitsugaya was struggling not to cry. "He said now I was marked, and nobody would want me because they'd know I'd been... used...."

"Oh Toushiro... you..." Unohana was crying? "Hitsugaya-taichou, you aren't the only person Gin hurt. I think you should speak to Izuru. I wouldn't even say anything, but as a captain you would have access to the file on the incident."

"I..." Hitsugaya's eyes widened, Gin had pulled the same... crap... with Izuru? Had that been before... or after...

He remembered very clearly, the reason why Gin said he didn't want to be with him anymore. _"I've found someone much more entertaining, Hitsugaya-taichou. I don't need you anymore." _

Hitsugaya sat down, hard on the bed, remembering Shinji's words also. _"You aren't the only one he's hurt." _

"How did you know?" Hitsugaya asked Shinji.

"People like Gin don't stop with one." Shinji replied simply. "Ukitake has offered us his tea house on the pond. Why don't we spend some time getting the place ready and getting some rest. I also think you should shower and eat. Get as much energy in your system as you can."

"Yeah, makes sense." Hitsugaya agreed.

At that point Ichigo ran in. "Is it true Unohana?"

"Yes, Zephly injected Hitsugaya and Yumichika both with the Fever Virus. Ikkaku and Yumichika have gone off into the woods outside of the west rukongai to revisit the place they got together in for the first time. They'll be gone for a week. Hitsugaya was discussing plans with Shinji."

"Looks like I'll have to put off your cero lessons."

"Alright Shinji. I just... wanted to make sure everyone was alright, and remind Toushiro not to shoulder his burdens alone. Especially after that incident with the King's seal. If it has arms to hold with, a heart to love with and a sexual organ to... aherm... sex with, then it was meant to have love in its life, man, woman, species doesn't even matter. If its capable of feeling love, then it deserves to be loved in return." Ichigo turned and left.

Hitsugaya spent the next couple of hours showering, eating, and finally making his and Shinji's bed in the tea house. "We could start early if you want."

"i'd rather save it for when the fever kicks in tomorrow." Hitsugaya yawned as he stripped and hung up his clothing near the door. Then he climbed into the bed, motioning for Shinji to climb in next to him.

Hitsugaya fell asleep quickly, and his dreams were plagued by minor aches and pains in his back and arms and legs.

The hard on and flushed face and body are the sensations that first woke Hitsugaya. The young captain had never been prone to morning wood before and it was strange to have an erection without having done anything to make it happen first.

Then he remembered, and sat up to wake Shinji. Hitsugaya wanted to test out this 'fever' and see if it was as stimulating as he'd heard.

And then he turned and looked in the mirror, and Hitsugaya's brain stopped working, just ground to a halt. Hitsugaya got up, naked, and walked over to the floor length mirror.

Hitsugaya had GROWN! He'd aged easily five years in one night! His body was slim, he had a six pack. His pubic hair had filled out a little bit, giving a nice thick bed of curls. The hair on his head was even spikier than he'd left it. "What the hell?" his voice had stayed more or less the same, just a tad deeper. "I'm... big?" Hitsugaya realized, he looked at least as old as Ichigo now, if not older. "in more than one way!" Hitsugaya licked his lips when he saw how much his cock had grown. It looked relatively /normal/ now, perhaps on the thick side.

Hitsugaya just stared in the mirror, he found his new body incredibly pleasing. He had /muscles!/ He had pubes! He could look /down/ at rangiku's busom now instead of having his face smooshed in her clevage.

Then Hitsugaya ran over to the bed again. "Shinji! Wake up! SHINJI!" Hitsugaya hissed.

Shinji groaned, rolling over. "five more minutes Hiyori."

"Its NOT whoever that Hiyori person is! ITS ME!" Hitsugaya had a few moments of doubt, what if shinji didn't like his new body?

Then Hitsugaya had an idea, he bent down and drew himself up against Shinji and kissed him. "Shiiiinnjiiiiiii..."

Shinji's eyes shot open. "Toushiro? Oh SHIT! Toushiro what happened to your..."

"I dunno, I just... aged... five years overnight!"

"More like six or seven. You think you look younger because the muscles on your new body haven't adapted yet. A few months of hard training and hearty meals in that form and you'll look a lot older." Shinji held Hitsugaya at arms length, taking in his changed body. "Wow... you look... good!"

"You like it?"

"Hell yeah! Its... hot... I mean you're hot no matter where you go or what you look like. But this is hot." Shinji wrapped his arms around Hitsugaya and pulled him close. "Though you won't have to worry about being too small for people to be interested anymore. You'll be dragging a trail of every gay man in Seireitei before long." He kissed Hitsugaya on the lips eagerly.

"You really think so?" Hitsugaya licked his lips, hands feeling their way along Shinji's body to his cock. "But right now all I want is you." He hauled Shinji down to kiss him. The only thing holding Hitsugaya back was the fear that Shinji might not like him in a grown up body. Now that that was over with. "Right now, I want that nice, long cock everywhere its possible to put it."

Shinji laughed, pulling Hitsugaya into a long, passionate kiss, twining their tongues. "I'll rock your world."

Hitsugaya grinned as shinji rolled him over onto his back and didn't hesitate to pull Hitsugaya's cock into his mouth, sucking on it, working his tongue over the underside and the head, massaging the sensitive parts with his tongue piercing. Hitsugaya moaned in pleasure, fingers winding their way into Shinji's hair and toes curling.

After a minute or two of licking and lapping at his dick, Shinji swallowed Hitsugaya's member and began to suck, hollowing his cheeks. Hitsugaya screamed in pleasure, crystaline eyes clouding in lust. His hips began to rock in time with Shinji's sucking, fucking the vizard's mouth eagerly. Shinji didn't seem to mind at all, moving his mouth in time with Hitsugaya's thrusts so that he wasn't choked.

Shinji throated Hitusgaya, humming as he did so and the tenth captain screamed in pleasure, bucking and writhing as he came. Almost instantly Shinji had a tube of KY Intense in his hand. The tingling substance stimulated his insides as Shinji's first two fingers wormed their way into his entrance.

Hitsugaya groaned, allowing Shinji to lift his legs onto his shoulders, the Vizard stretching and stroking the delicate skin beneath his fingers. Hitsugaya relaxed his body.

Shinji moved for Hitsugaya's prostate next, and just as Byakuya had with Ichigo he found a sensitive... spot... right beneath the prostate. He pushed against it, and it gave beneath his fingers, which sank an inch into something warm, wet and seemed cavernous beneath his fingers.

Hitsugaya screamed in pleasure in response, spots dancing in front of his eyes, the sensation was so intense his body began to shake beneath Shinji's fingers with the pleasure that rolled through his body.

Shinji was trying to figure out what he'd found, looking from his fingers inside Hitsugaya's body to his reaction and back. He tried thrusting his fingers in and out of the passageway he'd found. Hitsugaya screamed in pleasure.

This was new, and different, this wasn't there when he had sex with Hitsugaya the day before... and then Shinji's brain ground to a halt when he realized that what his fingers were pushed into was the womb created by the fever virus. So then...

Shinji kissed Hitusgaya tenderly on the cheek, removed his fingers, and then entered his koi, slowly, carefully. His initial thrust grazed Hitsugaya's prostate, causing the tenth captain to moan lewdly in pleasure. Shinji moved lower till he felt that one, extremely sensitive spot and thrust in.

Hitsugaya's mind had been racing just as much as Shinji's was and quickly came to the exact same conclusion. It was to increase the chances of getting pregnant. What concerned the captain was that he didn't care. The Fever was clearly affecting his judgement. He wanted Shinji in there.

The sensation of having his lover that deeply inside of him caused Hitsugaya to scream in pleasure. He almost came right then and there. And then Shinji started to thrust, and the friction of his lover's cock sawing in and out of that opening had the youngest of the captains writhing on the bed, white spots in his vision.

It wasn't very long before Hitsugaya came, screaming Shinji's name over and over and writhing on the bed. Shinji groaned, and a few moments later Hitsugaya felt his koi's erection slide in to the hilt and spill his seed directly into his womb.

Both men fell to the sheets, exhausted, Hitsugaya curled up against Shinji. It was morning, and he was drowsy already. "Sleepy..." Hitsugaya muttered.

"Then sleep Toushiro. I'll keep watch on you."

_Why am I suddenly so sleepy? _Hitsugaya wondered, _Its not right, being sleepy again in the middle of the morning. _

_Its fine Master. _Hyourinmaru assured him. _You were given medical leave for this remember?_

_Yeah.... but.... _Hitsugaya didn't finish the thought. He was out like a light.

* * *

1. http:// - upload. - wikimedia. - org/ - wikipedia/ - commons/ - f/ - fc/ - Agrianian3 – jpg

2. http:// - www. - / - uploadfiles/ - original/ - peg_54164. jpg

remove the spaces and the - and put them together to get pictures of a Peltast and a Murmillo.


	12. Chapter 12

Notes: This is the chapter I've been planning in my head for months. Enjoy.

* * *

Ichigo ran down the hallway to the bathroom, awakened early the next morning by a sudden and frustrating case of nausea. Unable to go back to sleep he wandered downstairs to see about breakfast. Komamura was still flopped on the floor by the hearth, and this time there were the remains of a hearth fire. Grimmjow and Ulquiorra had gone to sleep in their room.

Komamura snorted, kicked the air, and then his eyes cracked open. "Oh, Kurosaki-san, you're awake."

"Morning sickness."

"Ah, you know, one time when I had a stomach flu I had oatmeal for breakfast and I could keep it down quite well. Perhaps that will not upset your stomach?"

"not a bad idea. My mother used to make it in the winter. But she craved it when she was pregnant with Karin and Yuzu." Ichigo headed for the kitchen.

He had a pot of oatmeal bubbling on the stove when the crackle of sonido made him turn around. Ulquiorra and Grimmjow had woken up, and Ichigo was slightly taken aback to find them in their released forms. Furthermore Grimmjow's hole had moved up his stomach into his chest taking his baby heavy body into account as the 'kits' grew.

"What happened?"

"We're stuck in our released forms until we give birth." Ulquiorra was in his second form, something Ichigo was extremely uncomfortable around. He held out his arm delicately, showing a bracelet around it. "And our bodies have been altered to eat human food, which i'm hoping will become a permanent arrangement. Though I was told we would need twice as much protein as a human would."

Grimmjow was sniffing the pot of oatmeal, eager to try his first 'human' meal. "It looks awefully plain!"

"Oatmeal is plain at first but you're supposed to put things in it." Ichigo explained, rummaging through the cupboards. He found honey, maple syrup, raisins, almonds, dried cranberries, brown sugar. "Oooooh, they have Quinoa, i'll make that for lunch."

"Quinoa?"

"its a grain with a large amount of nutrients, you prepare it in a similar manner to oatmeal, but its really bitter in flavor. You need to sweeten it."

"I see." Ulquiorra was poking around the kitchen. "Forgive me, I've never cooked before." Ichigo was struggling to reach a jar of almonds in a cabinet above his head, but Ulquiorra grabbed the jar with his tail and set it delicately down on the counter. "If you cannot reach something, simply ask. I am very early on in my gestation, and so, I am still nimble."

"Sure." With Ulquiorra's help fetching things, the oatmeal soon smelled tempting when Byakuya entered. Ulquiorra meanwhile, looped his tail around Grimmjow's waist in a possessive posture.

Ichigo walked over to Byakuya and gave him a kiss. "oatmeal?" Byakuya asked.

"I got sick this morning." He replied. "When I came downstairs looking green around the gills, Komamura said when he got a stomach flu that thats what he had for breakfast. This is my mother's old recipe."

"I see." Byakuya responded to the kiss with an, almost smile. But Ichigo felt the warmth in his reiatsu and in his hands that gave the gesture much more love.

In a few minutes, the oatmeal was done and the group gathered around the couch while Grimmjow and Ulquiorra had their first meal of human food. Ichigo had to laugh. Ulquiorra used his tail to hold the spoon while he kept his arms around Grimmjow. (1) Ichigo thought that was cute.

There was a knock on the door, and Soifon entered. "Grimmjow, I was wondering if you wanted some exercise? You too Ulquiorra?"

"What did you have in mind."

"I was thinking going running, nothing major, my flash step, your sonido. Yamamoto said that I'm to make sure you get out in public for a little bit every day."

"i'm game." Grimmjow had been lapping his oatmeal like a cat.

"me too." Ulquirorra regarded soi fon. "I am quite speedy, though in this form flying is easier than sonido."

"I can't get over that tail." Ichigo chuckled. "Soi fon taichou, come have some oatmeal, its my mother's old recipe."

"don't mind if I do. oh, Ulquiorra? Orihime was asking after you. Whatever you did, she seemed to grow attached to you."

"I was in charge of her welfare at Los Noches." Ulquiorra replied. "however, I was... comforted by her presence, when I thought I was going to die. And she was the first human who wasn't terrified of me. Even you shinigami hated and reviled me by my very nature. She, however, wasn't afraid at all."

Soi Fon was about to say something when a blur of long orange hair streaked past her. "Ulquiorra-kun!" Ulquiorra was taken aback when the orange haired girl's hugging him. "I heard, congratulations!" Grimmjow and Ichigo got hugged next, Orihime trying to hug all three of them at once. "Zephly's attack on the park caused them to cancel school, so I'm here to see how you are!" Grimmjow and Ulquiorra were nearly finished with their meal. They'd eaten neatly, but very fast. Ichigo wasn't even half done with his breakfast.

Soifon sighed. "Orihime, why don't you stay here with Ichigo for now? I was going to take the arrancars for a run. Yamamoto said they have to have the chance to go out at least an hour a day. They can refuse if they wish but..."

"No problem." Grimmjow chuckled. "Climb on Orihime."

"Are you sure? You're pregnant!"

"Sure! Thats part of the reason why we were put into our released forms while we're in this state, so that we'd be stronger and better able to defend ourselves if Zephly came to take his research back."

Ichigo was surprised, for some reason Grimmjow was able to lift Orihime, effortlessly despite his baby heavy belly.

"How can I explain..." Ulquiorra hmmmed. "Spending long periods of time in ressurecion form is comparable to your bankai being permanently activated. That bankai compresses your spirit energy into a highly concentrated form in your body. Doing so raises your speed and reaction times as well as your strength." He paused. "however, Grimmjow, please allow me to carry Orihime-chan, I do not wish you to strain yourself." Ulquiorra hoisted the girl onto his back, resting her between his wings. "Besides, I could probably give her a more thrilling ride."

As they followed Soifon outside and she leaped to the rooftops, and Grimmjow followed her, Ulquiorra took a few running steps and lifted off into the air. Orihime squealed in delight, her shun shun rikka following in their wake. "hang on tightly." Ulquiorra told her. "And enjoy the view." He circled a hundred feet up, waiting for Grimmjow and Soi Fon to get moving. After a few moments, the two below were running over the rooftops. Ulquiorra swooped in low, Orihime hanging on tightly, hovering beside the two.

Grimmjow looked over, and found that his cold koibito had a huge grin on his face, first time he'd ever seen such a look.

Soifon had been instructed to try and tire Grimmjow and Ulquiorra out with the exercise, but she rapidly found out that that was easier said than done. By the time Grimmjow finally tired out, they'd made it to Sokyouku hill. The four of them finally flopped down at the base of the ruined gallows and Grimmjow was only panting with a thin sheen of sweat, Ulquiorra was breathing hard, and Soi Fon was soaked in sweat from head to toe.

"Wow. I can't believe your endurance."

Grimmjow laughed. "its due to us being in our released states." Ulquiorra replied. "It would be the equivalent of spending months with one's bankai activated. Only instead of your blade transforming its your body."

"I see." Soifon did tend to exhibit heightened senses and reaction times when she released her bankai.

"You did a good job though, you're fast. And not many people can keep up with an Espada for that long." Grimmjow was on all fours, shaking himself out and yawning in a very cat like form.

"We'd better return, Ichigo will wonder what has happened to us."

"Kyouraku will be taking over when we get back." Added Soi Fon. "I have things I have to do back at the division. Once you've had the baby Grimmjow, I'd like a chance to see what you can do. In a regulated bout of course." Soi Fon was starting to like Grimmjow. Yoruichi was her only love and would always be, but perhaps the arrancar could be useful on the battlefield, and as a training partner.

They returned to find a small trail of garments leading from the entryway to the couch, where Ichigo and Byakuya were asleep in each other's arms, curled up as cute as can be. Soifon's face turned purple, and she disappeared with a call of "Yoruiiichiiii saaaamaaaa! Where are youuuuuuuuu?" Heading in the opposite direction.

Ichigo jumped a mile, Byakuya had been only half awake, supporting Ichigo against him. Then orihime saw them and squealed, turning around and covering her eyes. "K...K...K... Kurosaki kun!" She blushed.

"er... Orihime... uuuuhhhh..." The sudden intrusion left him somewhat dazed as Byakuya pulled the blankets over them tighter.

Ichigo grunted, sitting up. Grimmjow simply dropped, flopping on the ground next to the couch and stretching out like only a cat can. Orihime plunked down right next to him. "you know, you didn't hold still long enough for me to..."

"To what?" Grimmjow asked.

"Um..." Orihime blushed, looking down at Grimmjow's baby belly.

Grimmjow blinked, allowing Orihime to stroke his belly. "What is it with people not being able to resist stroking a baby belly?"

"Its just... so cute..." Orihime mumbled, turning red. "It will be even cuter on Kurosaki-kun and Ulquiorra-chan."

"you refer to me in the female?" Ulquiorra asked.

"You're more feminine than Grimmjow is."

"I'm surprised you can be attached to the both of them Orihime." Ichigo commented.

"Grimmjow saved me from Loly and Menoly, and I fixed his arm." Orihime blushed. "Its only when he's trying to kill you that I don't like him. And Ulquiorra I... I kind of felt sorry for him. I'm glad he's away from Aizen. I think working for him was stunting his spiritual growth."

Ichigo snickered. "oh really?"

Orihime blushed. "I just... thought there would be more to him than you and the others gave him credit for. Certainly more than Aizen tried to make us think there would be. Besides, Grimmjow-kun is pregnant with Kurosaki-kun and Abarai-kun's babies, why shouldn't I be interested?" She put her ear to Grimmjow's baby belly.

"I suppose you're right." Grimmjow blushed.

Orihime grinned. "you have that pregnant glow too. Thats so cute!" Ichigo watched as Grimmjow allowed Orihime to fuss over his belly, the former Espada was blushing hugely, tail twitching like a cats, telegraphing a happy mood with its slow side to side motions and the appendage being held up straight.

"They started kicking last night." Grimmjow was grinning stupidly. "Maybe they'll do it for you."

Orihime squealed a few moments later. "They did! They did! Kurosaki-kun, get a robe on and see!" Ichigo reached for his kimono and wrapped it around himself, placing a hand on grimmjow's stomach and smiling when he felt the response.

Byakuya was somewhat jealous, but at least with Orihime around, Grimmjow might be worried about making an overtly sexual gesture to his Ichigo. He still couldn't help being a little green eyed when it came to people Ichigo had been with.

Ichigo had his ear to Grimmjow's stomach, blushing furiously when he felt the babies kicking.

Then what Ichigo did next stunned Byakuya and almost gave him a hard on in front of their feminine visitor. Ichigo pulled away from Grimmjow and sashayed sexily up to Byakuya. He looped his arms around Byakuya's neck, pressing his body up against him and kissed him, long and slow.

Then once a now gasping Byakuya pulled back for air, Ichigo pushed him gently back onto an easy chair and sat in his lap, guiding the Kuchiki's hands to his stomach and flattening them against his abdomen. He reached up and whispered in Byakuya's ear. "When I'm gravid, will you touch my belly too?"

Byakuya's response was a huge blush, and Ichigo felt his erection hardening beneath his buttocks. Orihime pulled a camera out of her purse and took a picture. "that one is for Rukia-chan! Kurosaki-kun what did you tell him?"

Byakuya's mind was still reeling. As he realized by that statement that Ichigo didn't /want/ to try and avoid getting pregnant. He was taking that it would happen as a matter of certainty. And he was open, even submissive to the idea of having children.

He hadn't been sexually interested in Grimmjow, despite wanting to bond with the child he'd sired with the former Espada, he was trying to use Grimmjow's condition as a way to mentally process what was going to happen to him.

And now Byakuya's grip on his lover tightened, and he leaned down to nuzzle Ichigo tenderly. He whispered in his ear. "Are you that certain it will happen?" He asked, kissing his koi's neck and sucking on the skin hard enough to leave a hicky.

"If this Zephly is as clever with his virus as Yamamoto says he is, I have no doubt it will happen." he whispered. "the question is, who's is it? Yours, or..."

Byakuya shivered, burying his face in Ichigo's hair. He of course had been briefed about the rule about multiple partners. He'd been told to keep that quiet until Unohana could medically support it in Ichigo.

Over the next week, Hitsugaya and Yumichika came out of hiding with their mates alongside them, and when Ichigo watched the two couples return he saw a marked difference. Yumichika was squealing and clinging to Ikkaku and generally acting like a newlywed.

Hitsugaya simply walked, hand in hand with Shinji, a faint, healthy flush to his normally pale cheeks and every so often he'd lean gently on Shinji for a few moments. For once in his life, the ice ball was exuding warmth.

Ichigo and Renji helped Byakuya in the office. From what Ichigo heard Uryu's cooking was delicious, he was happy that he was not being called freeloader at meal times, and his gigai had never been dressed so well when they went to see a movie. Uryu was coming down to the soul society in a couple of days when the school had a long weekend.

Karin's kido lessons went swimmingly, and Yoruichi even had her flash stepping and playing shunpo tag. She seemed to enjoy showing them off for Hitsugaya and Shinji. Ichigo even got his cero lessons and was soon firing small ceros without the use of his hollow form.

The day Uryu, Orihime and Sado were to be visiting them was also the day Ichigo was to see Unohana for his exam, and he was glad that his friends would be coming to the soul society to support him. That day when Ichigo woke up he found a pregnancy test outside his and Byakuya's door, with a bow tied on it. Ichigo groaned, the bow was pale green, and Ichigo supposed that Ulquiorra had found an extra and tied a ribbon on it and left it for him.

Ulquiorra had proven to have rather poor social skills, but well meaning manners. Ichigo had been simply teaching the arrancar how to live. Ulquiorra seemed to have developed a talent for cooking. And a simple, courteous breakfast, including oatmeal for Ichigo's upset stomach, was always waiting when he woke up.

Byakuya rolled over in bed, looking up at the ceiling for a few moments before he sniffed. "Smells like Ulquiorra's cooking again."

"Yeah. I think he left a pregnancy test outside the door too." Ichigo frowned. "Wake up, I'm going to go use this thing."

Byakuya was always a grouch in the morning, Hisana would always lure him out of bed with a cup of tea and a bowl of rice sprinkled with cinnamon, but until he had his first cup of tea in the morning Byakuya was always grumpy, and more often than not he and Ichigo curled up together in the morning.

Ichigo entered the bathroom, test in hand, it didn't take long to figure out how to do it. And so he set the test on the sink to develop and took a shower. The hot water was soothing to his nerves.

When Ichigo came out, the test had developed. It took some fumbling with the directions to find that it was, indeed, positive. Ichigo's eyes widened, he stared for a few moments, then he ran out of the bathroom, dry, but naked, and leapt onto the bed. "BYAKUYA!" He exclaimed in excitement, handing Byakuya the positive test and throwing his arms around him.

"Congratulations." Byakuya's cheeks flushed slightly, looping his arms around Ichigo's waist. "time to eat and head down to Unohana's. I'll send a hell butterfly ahead saying you took the test already."

Ulquiorra had oatmeal waiting for Ichigo. "Did the test work?"

"yes it did, and its positive, thank you."

"I had little doubt about Zephly's capability." Ulquiorra replies. "He knew what Microbes were before humans even had a microscope. Whatever his faults and even with everything he's done he's considered a hero among the arrancars. A bit on the cranky side but..."

"Cranky?"

"Yes, he doesn't like to be disturbed when he's thinking, or working. He doesn't just do medical things, he does research too. His library has almost any subject you can find, I experienced it once when I was just out of my cocoon. I've never seen more books in my life, and miles and miles of shelves with scrolls and books."

"you've been in his library?"

"Yes. He's done quite a bit of work on turning animals into hollows."

"What does he do with them?"

"Well what do humans raise animals for?" Ulquiorra asks. "The stronger ones he has aid him in battle, the others he uses for pack and draft animals and for food."

"I see."

"my point is that there is always more to us arrancar than you see on the surface. Zephly's skills are awesome and terrifying, but not everything he makes is evil. All you shinigami see are the evil that we do and so you think we are unable to do anything else. The fact is many arrancar sought to become what they are not out of a desire for power but a desire to escape the hunger. When you confront Zephly, please do not do it with malice in your heart? He's old, and a bit crochety, but he's sweet when you get to know him."

"I... I'll try." Ichigo was eating his breakfast while they talked. Interacting with Ulquiorra was always pleasant. Much more so than when they were fighting each other.

It didn't take long for Ichigo and Byakuya to head to Unohana's office hand in hand. When they arrived Orihime, Uryu, Renji and Sado greeted them. Orihime threw her arms around Ichigo, and Renji had his hand on Uryu's buttocks rather than his waist, with the quincy trying very hard not to blush and everyone else ignoring the gesture.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime squealed. "Today's the big day!"

"I know." Ichigo chuckled.

"Nervous?"

"Petrified." Ichigo replied. "Thank you all for coming."

Unohana chuckled. "Ichigo, here's a hospital robe, go get changed. You're going to like this, I'm sure your father performed ultra sound scans when he had a pregnant patient?"

"He also uses them to check the heart but I have seen him use it."

"Well the machine we use is quite different. It has a clearer picture, we can even use it to determine species and parentage. Vizard is only passed on to the children fifty percent of the time for a coupling of two vizards, twenty five percent if its a vizard and a shinigami. So there is the chance that one of the children has an inner hollow from birth, there's also the chance that it could be triggered later in life under the right stresses so we have to find out now. However, the final indicator will be birth. Some vizard children who have their hollows from birth are born with their masks on, which then fall off and shatter when they are born. Unfortunately, children born with their inner hollows may have difficulty with their milestones, and if so would need special therepy and counciling as they grow to make sure their milestones are hit."

Ichigo nodded. His title was substitute shinigami, his loyalty was to the shinigami, that meant he was socially considered one of them. But anatomically Ichigo knew he was a vizard. Medically he had to be treated like one.

He changed into the white medical robe and when he came back Unohana gestured for him to lie down on the medical bed. She had Orihime and Sado sit further back in the room than Uryu and Renji and allowed Byakuya to sit next to Ichigo and hold his hand. Ichigo blushed, pulling aside the opening of his kimono for Unohana to run the scan.

The machine Unohana used was a large, basketball sized crystal cluster with the familiar ultrasound wand attached to it by a cord. "This will be a little cold." Ichigo blushed even deeper as the wand made contact.

After a few moments a hologram sprung up from the crystal. "This is why I love this machine." Unohana chuckled, the image was Ichigo's lower body (though his more private parts, such as the penis were not shown on the hologram. "You can interact with the hologram, I just poke the part I want to look at." Unohana indicated the reproductive system. "You can see quite clearly now the way Zephly's system works. All the reproductive organs are there, uterus, one ovary to take better advantage of space, there's even the beginnings of a birth canal right here. And then at the back there's an entry that makes insemination possible, even easier from behind. That passage then closes and knits together, making entry impossible even for the smallest of microbes.

"At the same time, the cervix attached to the forming birth canal is also sealed quite tightly to protect the womb and the fetus inside. There's some impressive defenses in place here." Unohana was quite pleased with what she was seeing. "You can't quite see it, but there's a lining of reiatsu surrounding the womb. Its forming a slightly more fluid version of souryoku to prevent wounding both the organ and the baby inside."

Ichigo's face wouldn't stop flushing a brighter and brighter red. Then Unohana gently poked the holographic representation of Ichigo's womb, and what Ichigo saw next took his breath away.

Three tiny curled forms shone on the hologram. Orihime's squeal drowned Ichigo's delighted gasp. Ichigo spied a pink blush on Sado's cheeks as the giant stood and peered over at the holographic readout for a better look. "Now here's where it gets fun." Unohana flipped a switch on the wand, and the three forms on the monitor turned different colors. Two of them turned red. The third a pale blue, quincy blue. "Two shinigami and a quincy. Congratulations."

Unohana immediately noticed something wrong, though certainly not with the children. Even as Ichigo's friends started cheering and offering their own congratulations. Uryu was completely silent, and his face was turning from white, to red, to a nice, humiliated, angry, frustrated shade of purple. Then he immediately turned away, refusing to look at Ichigo or the holographic readout or at Unohana.

"Alright, now for the fun part. Parentage. Its obvious that the quincy child is Uryu's, now its time to determine the parantage of the other two. Renji you're closest, you go first, place your hand on mine." Unohana indicated the hand holding on to the ultrasound wand.

When Renji's hand covered hers, Unohana pushed a button. And one of the two shinigami fetuses glowed white in response. "So that one is Renji's, thank you Renji, you can remove your hand now. Byakuya?" As Ichigo watched, when Byakuya's hand reached out to touch the ultrasound wand, the other shinigami fetus glowed white. "And that one is Byakuya's." Ichigo cried out in delight, sitting up and throwing his arms around Byakuya. Unohana chuckled and withdrew, turning off the machine.

"So, Uryu, looks like we're going to have a family huh?" Renji asked. "If of course Ichigo doesn't want to keep custody."

"Do you really think I'd want to cut them off from their other parents? If you want them then I'm not going to keep you from them." Ichigo said with a chuckle.

"Thats assuming I'm interested in being corralled into fatherhood the way Renji and Byakuya are." Uryu said coldly, looking at Ichigo sidelong. "Maybe they're interested in being fathers, but they're both older than I am. I'm not going to ruin my schooling being a parent, and neither, Kurosaki, should you. Have fun with fatherhood the three of you. But I'm not going to be guilted into caring for a child I don't want." He turned on a heal and left.

Total and complete silence engulfed the once happy atmosphere in the hotel room. Orihime's face turned red with fury. Sado turned white under his tan. Byakuya was so enraged that his hand immediately went to senbonzakura and he took a step forwards as if fighting the urge to flash step after Uryu and kill him. Renji just gawked, completely shocked at the behavior of the mate he thought he knew as being polite, kind hearted and sensitive.

And Ichigo started to cry. Just cry and wail. And his mate's distress was what stopped Byakuya's near murderous rage at Uryu cold. He swept Ichigo up in his arms, trying to comfort his mate.

But Ichigo would not be comforted. He couldn't stop crying and even though some rational part of his brain said "its his father, he's scared of his father" all Ichigo could think at the moment was "why why why whywhywhywhywhy? How could Uryu be so cruel?"

* * *

1. God I love that prehensile tail. Shweeeeee... :D Its so cute! And the things you could do with it!


	13. Chapter 13

Notes: Someone suggested that Ryuken becomes infected with the "Fever" somehow, and has to experience what his son really, really doesn't want to. So I'm going to give it a try. If it doesn't work out I'll work something out so he doesn't get preggers, but it might loosen him up a little bit. I'm not really going to do much with him, have him in the background mostly. Maybe check in on him occasionally.

Then I found this incredibly touching song, one I hadn't used for a fanfic yet. And decided to use it for a songfic chapter. 333, hell, i'm rereading it and hearing the song paired with the fanfic, and crying at my own writing.

* * *

Uryu ran, just ran, pushing his way past Isshin, who had been out for a walk with Yamamoto to catch up on what the two of them had missed of each other. Yamamoto didn't try to catch Uryu but Isshin did, hauling him around. "Aaaalright Uryu, what happened? I thought you were going to be at Ichigo's appointment, and that look on your face makes me think either someone died or you're in a real, real, disagreeable mood."

"My father is going to kill me."

"Oh? I take it from your statement and response that Ichigo is pregnant, and one of them is yours?"

Uryu glared at him. "I don't want this. Ichigo wants this. Renji wants this. Byakuya wants this. They can have it."

"But fatherhood is the best job in the world! I wouldn't trade it for anything!"

"I knew you wouldn't understand." Uryu turned to leave, again. "My father is going to /kill/ me." He repeated. "You know what he's like Isshin. I saw you at the hospital once visiting him."

"yes I did. If you like I can talk to your father."

"Hell no!" Uryu growled. "i'm going home." And he did just that, making for the gates.

Isshin sighed. "Well, I have to see his father about the thing we discussed anyway."

"Of course."

"My son did, WHAT?" Isshin was supposed to be delivering samples of the fever virus to Ryuken. "He should know better! He hasn't been infected has he?"

"no, thank god." Isshin sighed. "This fever virus could be a problem. Don't tell anybody what these samples are. And treat them with the highest level of reishi containment you can manage."

"I know what kind of containment to use better than /you/ do." Ryuken growled. "What I can't believe is that /my/ son would be so foolhardy as to..."

"Become intimate with soul reapers? Hello, how many times since Masaki's death have you and I gotten drunk at Urahara's and had sex? Not to mention we did have a threesome and you /loved/ it?"

"what I do is different from what he does. Besides, I can't get you pregnant. He should have used a condom at the very least, if not he should have left and just not been part of it."

"And what sixteen."

"Seventeen." corrected Ryuken

"Year old refuses sex?" Isshin pointed out. "Especially when its one of their schoolmates who is hot, bothered and uncontrollably willing and two drop dead gorgeous gods of death with sex appeal oozing out their ears and eyeballs? Not to mention there's the bonds of battle between them."

Ryuken sighed, giving Isshin a hesitant, gentle kiss before immediately pulling away and blushing slightly. "I really, really wish he would tell me these kinds of things."

"He doesn't feel like he can trust you." replied Isshin. "Thats always been his issue! You need to give your son reason to trust you, reach out Ryuken, don't let your grief over Souken and your wife ruin your relationship with the relative who's still kicking and screaming!" Isshin urged Ryuken.

"If his distrust keeps him from being killed by a shinigami, then I will keep him distrustful." Ryuken growled, thumbing through the report on the known properties and strains of the Fever Virus, as the disease was rapidly becoming known. "And I still do not trust them."

"I know you don't... shit... Ryuken I know what its like to lose your one true soulmate. But you can't let it handicap you for the rest of your life! And it can't let you make your /son/ pass the sins of /his/ father onto /his/ son. Don't you understand what's at stake here? DON'T REPEAT HISTORY!"

Ryuken did, and he was trying, very very hard to forgive. But he could not. As much as he loved Isshin and Urahara, and considered Tessai and Yoruichi to be friends, perhaps even siblings, he could not bring himself near any other soul reaper. It was as much a phobia as it was a hatred.

"my son was in tears Ryuken, because your son was too afraid of you to do the responsible thing."

Ryuken continued reading the files, trying to ignore Isshin, but Isshin knew he was bothering his tempramental lover.

So he left, deciding it was better to give it time.

Ryuken sighed and began to put the samples away. He didn't have time for this.

"Interesting." A voice said from the doorway. "I come here to steal medical supplies, and I not only get a quincy. I get a quincy who's a doctor /and/ who happens to be handling my Master's property."

The woman standing in the doorway had long silky hair, with a crest like mask on the top of her head. "Zephly probably won't mind if I do this."

A small, extremely precise Bala shattered the pietri dish in Ryuken's hand, Ryuken reached for his bow, even with one bleeding hand he could shoot, but the arrancar was gone. An instant later Ryuken felt something impact his head, and he was down on the floor.

Kamrin sighed, whistling. A gigai in her image, dressed as one of the environmental staff that handled cleaning the hospital rooms. Ryuken was struggling for consciousness on the ground, eyes staring dazedly up at Zephly's fraccion. "This will be very interesting intelligence. Its a pity that was the new strain he got infected with." Kamrin pulled herself back into the gigai with a schloop noise. She caught the gikon pill in her hand and put it back into a small suade drawstring pouch, which she hung around her neck and tucked under her scrubs. Then calmly walked down the hallway.

Ryuken lay there, hand cut open, knocked out on the floor.

Over the next few hours, Uryu wandered the streets of Karakura, and eventually his steps took him to the hospital where he knew his father would be. Call it ESP, call it fate, call it stupidity, he suddenly felt the unexplainable urge to visit his father.

_I dreamed I was missing  
You were so scared  
But no one would listen  
Cause no one else cared _

When he entered his father's office, he wasn't there. One of the nurses told Uryu she'd seen his father go down to his personal laboratory on the bottom floor of the hospital.

So Uryu got himself a soda from the machines, then went downstairs to his father's laboratory. This lab was where the entrance to his hidden training ground they'd used to get his quincy powers back was located.

Uryu opened the door to the laboratory to find a bala mark on the far wall, shattered glass from a pietri dish, and his father delirious on the ground with a bleeding hand.

Uryu's face turned as white as a sheet. He rushed in to his father's side, taking his pulse. The wound had long since stopped bleeding. Uryu looked over the files on the desktop and did a double take, his father was doing routine research on the Fever Virus, the reports were signed by Unohana and Kurotsuchi.

Uryu's blood ran cold, his mind began to reconstruct what had happened and the gears began to turn in his head.

An arrancar had come in, seen his father with the petri dish, somehow known that he was researching the fever virus, shot the petri dish, causing it to break into pieces, cut his hand, and become infected. Uryu whipped out his cellphone and called Urahara, "Moshi moshi, Urahara shoten Kisuke urahara speaking."

"Urahara! I'm in some serious trouble! My dad, he's on the floor, he'd delirious! There's a bala mark on the wall and a broken petri dish next to where he fell, he cut his hands on it and..."

"...became infected... damn. I asked him to see if any human medicines would have an effect on the fever virus. It didn't occur to me that Zephly might have an arrancar infiltrate the hospital."

"What makes you think he infiltrated it?"

"Do you see /any/ signs of arrancar attack other than the bala?"

"No."

"they infiltrated the hospital. The question is /why/?"

"We can find that out later."

"Of course, Yoruichi is here, she's coming to get you both. Be on your guard, the arrancar who did this might still be here."

_After my dreaming  
I woke with this fear  
What am I leaving  
When I'm done here _

Uryu knelt by his father, careful to avoid the broken petri dish. His father was thrashing and moaning on the ground in pain, calling out. "Uryu I'm sorry... so sorry..." It was very quiet, so quiet that Uryu hadn't heard it until he hung up the phone. "forgive me... son please forgive me... I'm so sorry."

Uryu balked, torn between being touched by his father's fevered begging for him to forgive him, and the frustration that it took him being seriously ill to even want forgiveness.

"URYU!" Yoruichi entered with Renji on her heals. "Are you alright."

"Yes, just help him!" Uryu threw his arms around Renji and it was then that he started to cry.

As Yoruichi bent next to Ryuken, the quincy summoned a hidden reserve of strength, grabbing her leg. "Yoruichi... the... arrancar... had... a... gigai..." Ryuken was straining to get the critical information out. "She... had... a gigai!"

"SHIT." Yoruichi sighed, picking up Ryuken. "How in the three worlds could an arrancar get a gigai?"

"No idea, but I'll relay that information to the Commander General immediately." Renji squeezed Uryu hard. "It will be alright. Heck, it means you'll probably get a brother or sister soon eh?"

"shut up."

"But it gets you off scott free, I mean he'll have to forgive you if he's stricken with the same thing Ichigo has."

Uryu sighed. "Just shut up and hold me okay?" He asked, "You don't understand, you really don't..."

"Alright." Yoruichi picked up Ryuken easily. "Lets go."

_So if you're asking me  
I want you to know_

_When my time comes  
Forget the wrong that I've done  
Help me leave behind some  
Reasons to be missed _

Renji scooped Uryu up in his arms. And they were away, flashstepping out of the back door of the hospital, Uryu didn't think he was strong enough to hirenkyaku, the shock of seeing what had happened to his father was too much. Yoruichi quickly pulled away from them, out stripping Renji. By the time Renji put Uryu down outside Urahara's door, and Uryu went to the room Ichigo had been cared for in.

They'd managed to get Ryuken into the same white robes used for shinigami invalids and prisoners, he was conscious, but sluggish, heavily anesthetized. The robe hung open loosely, and Uryu could see the massive black and blue mark on his father's stomach caused by the rearranging of his organs.

And Isshin and urahara were there with him, one on either side, and this is what was absolutely shocking, when Ryuken pulled Isshin down to kiss him, an insecure, completely vulnerable look on his face.

Uryu wasn't sure what to think, what to do, what to /say/. He was... flabbergasted, angry, anguished, grieving, his heart was a myriad of powerful emotions as he watched his own father grasping for comfort.

_And don't resent me  
And when you're feeling empty  
Keep me in your memory_

_Leave out all the rest  
Leave out all the rest _

A hand settled on uryu's shoulder. Byakuya had finally caught up with Uryu. The Kuchiki looked at the scene, watching as Ryuken buried his face into Isshin's chest and groaned in relief as Urahara rubbed his back in a gesture of comfort, applying spirit energy in a way that would ease the pain.

"He doesn't look ready to kill you to me." Byakuya said quietly after a long moment. The Kuchiki captain took a deep breath, and he said to Uryu. "I know what its like to be a hot headed, impatient teenage boy who can't deal with his grandparents or parents very well."

Uryu blinked, as Byakuya turned Uryu's chin up to look him in the eye. "When we are little, our parents and if they are present our grandparents take on an incredible significance in our minds. We think of our parents as being invincible, and for some people that belief follows them into adulthood. Others have this moment of profound insight, an insight met with grief as this delusion of super humanity is shattered, realizing that their parents too are human, with their own feelings, dreams, and yes, their vulnerabilities.

Byakuya's voice choked up for a moment. "For some this moment comes too late, and we never get the chance to connect with them the way we would have wanted. For others, this moment drives a permanent wedge between them and their own blood. They take this as a chance to leave, and completely strike out on their own and leave the past behind.

"But those that cope best with this knowledge, this one single devastating moment, take it as a chance to try and understand their family, their blood, their progenitors, who underwent an ordeal unparalleled in joy and sorrow by any other in the world to bring them onto this Earth. They use this moment to learn what they never will again, the lives of their parents, and understand it in ways they may never get to ever.

"Whatever you do with Ichigo, trod gently, but try, at least a little, to understand your father in as honest terms as possible. Because someday he will no longer be there, and when that happens, and he is no longer among the living, even if his soul is successfully brought to soul society, he won't remember you, and those memories, that heritage, will have been squandered. For someone who so proudly proclaims themselves to be the last of the quincies, you seem quite ready to pour this heritage down the drain of time."

And then he was gone, heading for the passageway to the underground training area and the gates to the soul society.

_Don't be afraid  
I've taken my beating  
I've shed but I made_

_I'm strong on the surface  
Not all the way through  
I've never been perfect  
But neither have you_

_So if you're asking me  
I want you to know _

Uryu hesitated, pausing at the doorway as Byakuya left, walking hesitantly into the room. Ryuken was barely able to move. He had to be propped up by Isshin and Urahara, who held onto him as if he were the most important thing in the world to them.

He knelt by his father's side, taking one of his hands in his. "Dad... I know you're upset about..."

"Forget it, I did... everything... to protect you... there comes a time when the father has to let the son go. But please, my darling Uryu, don't visit the sins of the grandfather upon the grandson."

"Are you and Isshin and..."

"And Urahara, yes, we've been together on and off since Souken passed. They've been a... great comfort..."

"Sexually?"

"Yes, that too."

Ryuken buried his face in Isshin's chest, for the proud quincy, it was a moment of surrender, leaving his son to follow his heart and allowing his koibitos to comfort and care for him in his agony.

Uryu took that as his signal to leave, Renji was waiting for him at the doorway to the room, and Uryu took his hand. For one long, long moment Uryu looked back one last time, and then he hurried back to the soul society to try and figure out how to apologize to Ichigo.

_When my time comes  
Forget the wrong that I've done  
Help me leave behind some  
Reasons to be missed _

Ryuken would never in a million years admit to Uryu that he was absolutely terrified and desperately needed physical comfort right then. His consciousness was ebbing, he could think one moment, and blacked out the next, allowing Isshin and Urahara to hold onto him. "I just need to sleep..." He muttered. "Stay here with me? Please?"

"of course."

"Always."

When Ryuken finally gave in to unconsciousness, he felt protected and cared for. And in the state he was in he needed it badly.

_Don't resent me  
And when you're feeling empty  
Keep me in your memory_

_Leave out all the rest  
Leave out all the rest_

Uryu found Ichigo helping Ulquiorra with the dishes, reminding him that he hadn't eaten. "Hey, Uryu, Ulquiorra kept some of the venison and potatoes he cooked hot for you."

"Ichigo I'm sorry."

"byakuya told me what happened."

"And he finally surrendered." Uryu muttered. "look, I'm still not keen on this whole thing, I'm really not. But I'll try... but if I seem cold or detatched or... insensitive, please forgive me. I'm not good at this sort of thing at all." Uryu said quietly. "I never dealt well with my father... then I found out he'd been... fucking... your father and Urahara."

"Wouldn't have thunk it, but I also wouldn't have thunk that my father was a shinigami until recently." Ichigo replied. "you don't really know someone until you get blindsided right?"

"Yeah." Uryu sighed. "This makes the whole situation... extremely uncomfortable."

"I guess we'll end up with one big family when this is all over."

"By soul society standards I guess so." He took his share of the dinner and headed upstairs, Renji had gotten them a room for the night. And that was where Renji found him an hour later.

_Forgetting_  
_All the hurt inside_  
_You've learned to hide so well_

_Pretending_  
_Someone else can come and save me from myself_  
_I can't be who you are_

Uryu had finished his meal, and he was lying back on the bed, shirtless and tired. Renji sat on the bed next to him and asked. "Uryu, are you alright?"

"I've been better. He let me go. My father let me go. Let me do what I want." Uryu sighed. "I can't believe it."

"He wants your forgiveness."

"And I'm not sure I can give it to him. He was such a... a bastard... when I was young. I was... much more sensitive than I am now." He climbed into Renji's lap and snuggled his face into the redhead's chest. "Can you imagine what effect it would have on an eight year old? Seeing spirits being eaten by hollows? Or crying out to loved ones that they can't leave and move on? I wanted to help, and he refused to let me. He said that being a quincy... wouldn't make any money."

_When my time comes_  
_Forget the wrong that I've done_  
_Help me leave behind some_  
_Reasons to be missed_

Renji sighed. "He was trying to protect you, and its not unwarrented either. If Kurotsuchi is willing to experiment on an old man you can bet he'd be willing to experiment on a child." Renji held tightly to Uryu. "And then we never woulda met." Renji licked his lips. "If you can try, try to heal from all the stuff you had with yer father, then I will do my best to help you. Maybe, with enough warmth and love, you'll find it in your heart to forgive him. But now is most definitely not the time."

"And the babies?"

_Don't resent me_  
_And when you're feeling empty_  
_Keep me in your memory_

"Do you want them?"

"I don't know... maybe..." Uryu's eyes went dull. "I don't want to decide immediately."

"Then I will shoulder the burden for the both of us, but he, or she, will need a quincy to guide him or her in their training. Though they won't be up for that for awhile aye?"

_Leave out all the rest_  
_Leave out all the rest_

_Forgetting_  
_All the hurt inside_  
_You've learned to hide so well_

Uryu reached up to kiss Renji, deeply, begging him for the comfort that he needed, after all, having one's established order of the universe overturned in one night, is quite the shock. As moonlight filtered into their room, Uryu responded to Renji's touch as ardently as if he himself had been infected with the fever.

_Pretending_  
_Someone else can come and save me from myself_  
_I can't be who you are_  
_I can't be who you are_


	14. Chapter 14

Notes: one of my reviews said that I was doing too many lemons, so i'm going to let the readers decide. If they want more lemons, I'll do an entire chapter exactly that before doing some fluffiness.

I am SO sorry it took so long to update. I'm in the middle of a race to Robust Tamer on digimon battle mmo and bleach mush the beginning is in the middle of the end of a weeks long TP and a wikipedia contest! Best bleach mush the beginning character page gets 40 sp! I just gotta win! Morgan could use the 40 sp to get flash step ii!

* * *

Zephly sighed, pacing back and forth in the meeting room. "What's on your mind?" Asked Aizen. He was sitting on his throne, a shirtless Gin Ichimaru sitting in his lap and snuggling up against him.

"I'd like to attempt a more aggressive action. The virus I created, Tartarus Athena, (1) I'd like to know its limits, if its possible to have immunity to it. I'd love, with your permission, to infect more shinigami and see what the results are."

"I see no problem with that." Aizen's face curled in a crafty little smile as he glanced sidelong at Zephly. "It means that a good portion of their command structure is disabled due to maternity leave. That gives me enough time to reassemble my army. Yes... this will work very well."

Gin piped up. "If yeh need another test subject..." Gin let it hang. But the hopeful look on his face told Zephly exactly what he wanted.

"You're certain Gin?" Aizen asked his mate with a small smile.

"O course, if they're gonna be taking a rest its gonna take them a year or so to get back to fighting fitness. That means I have about a year to try and have a kid." He smirked. He held out his wrists to Zephly, indicating he should inject him with the Fever Virus.

"Only if you undergo the initial stage of the fever in a medical environment. Once the lust hits Aizen can take you back to his quarters for a week of loving." Gin purred in Aizen's grip at the mere thought.

Aizen frowned for a second. **Well, why not? He is the reason why I had Zephly make this virus. Although admittedly I wanted to test his skills and his ability to work with Szayel. Their skills will compliment each other nicely. Things just got out of hand and it turned into a science experiment. Every would be conqueror needs an heir, and its possibly the most intimate act the halves of a relationship could commit. **He looked down at Gin, who was beaming up at him. Aizen reached down and stroked his lover's hair and sighed. "I suppose. Zephly, have Gin situated. Then prepare your raid."

"I think I'll draft Loly and Menolly while I'm at it, hmmm... Kitty will be taking care of Gin, since I figure he might be more comfortable with a female healer taking care of him. I think I'll grab some of Grimmjow and Ulquiorra's old fraccion and have them join us."

Kitty met Gin and Aizen in a private medical suite, used for theirs and Tousen's personal care. She'd had Gin change into something more comfortable, made sure he had IV fluids and a couple of monitors. "Alright, I'm injecting the fever virus into the IV. It should take effect in about an hour." Kitty told Gin.

Gin reached up and kissed Aizen. "My lovely." Their lips met in a passionate kiss, the IV pinching Gin's arm uncomfortably. Gin wrapped his boney arms around Aizen's neck.

Aizen was the only man who could turn Gin into mush in his hands. The only one for whom he would bottom, and the only thing that distracted his normally deviant sex drive. The horrors he'd inflicted on Hitsugaya and Izuru were the manifestation of a feral, burning desire to hurt others and being sexually aroused by doing so. Aizen was the only one who could turn the ravaging lion of Gin's twisted sex drive into a relatively normal lamb. (2)

As Kitty took over the room, Zephly turned, his coat billowing behind him, cane clacking on the ground.

"Alrighty..." Zephly told the fraccion. "These aren't any cero you're firing, these are trank guns. Who here knows how to fire a gun?"

Nobody knew, except for one tiny hand that when raised only reached up to Zephly's chest. The fraccion who raised it was a tiny young man with a rodent's jaw bone for a mask. "Demonstrate!"

"These is pump action." The rat like fraccion replied in an American southern accent, hillfolk if Zephly was not mistaken. "Crack open the barrel like so, put the darts in, crack it shut, then cock it by pumping his thingy here, aim, and fire." (3)

"What's your name Fraccion?"

"Bean."

"That for size or for brains?" (4)

"Neder, Grimmjow called me that cause thats what ah smell like." The fraccion spit tobacco as he aimed the gun. "course I kin smell better 'an any of his fraccion and ah kin shoot better 'an old Stark kin! All he could do was blast a massive stream of cero at someone. Ah kin pick a bird on the wing at two hundred yards then reload and follow it down twice before it hits the ground."

"obviously somebody was a hillbilly in a former life." There was nervous laughter. "But he's right, pump action is very easy to fire. We'll be moving to the location with these guns already loaded. You get two shots, so make them count. Everyone gets one. And you have to be able to switch in a heartbeat from these to a cero. When you've all shot off all your shots, drop the gun, fire on the shinigami and run for it at top shunpo. Kamrin, you're in charge of the garganta. Make sure you have it open by the time the first rifle hits the ground. Cheiz, Foarmin, you have to be ready to cover the entire attacking force with negacion at a moment's notice."

"Now the rounds you're using for this dress rehearsal have been filled with non active saline solution. Totally harmless, its basically salt water. The rounds you'll be using will be filled with a live virus that will scramble your organs and... well... I'm sure you've heard through the grape vine what happened to the stronger numbers when they were infected with it. You can't /miss./ So walk forwards to the line, aim, fire at the target, drop the gun, fire a cero, turn and run like hell to the back wall with sonido as fast as your legs can take you.

"Lets do this right people, one, two, three, GO."

* * *

Three hours later the sirens went off in the twelfth division. Rin yelled. "We've got a garganta opening in Karakura town! And a set off of Cero Extincion. Multiple signals coming in, one red, an Espada, the rest are orange, fraccion!"

"Where are they located?"

"An abandoned warehouse, I believe its the Bluebox Warehouse. Its scheduled to be demolished in the next week. According to the the data we have when we made the replica Karakura town, it was the site where a famous murder took place, and three hollows were cleansed on the premesis all three of whom were taken by the gates." Rin shivered. "its a pretty scary place to be."

"Well, the humans don't have to demolish it anymore."

"Scramble second division, captain kyouraku and captain ukitake and any lieutenants and third seats not infected with the fever virus."

"Gotcha..."

"And make sure there are cameras rolling! We need battle data!"

Ten minutes later, Soifon, Ukitake, Kyouraku, Omaeda, Iba, Ikkaku, Renji, Izuru, Shuhei, half a dozen of soifon's "ninja" troops, and Hanataro had come along to be team medic. Shuhei was carrying the medic on his back, charged with his safety in the coming fight.

When they arrived on the scene, the responding group of shinigami faced a half circle of fraccion, each armed with some kind of rifle. They were shielded from the smouldering remains of the building by a negacion barrier. Perched on a twisted girder was Zephly. Perched on other twisted girders were his main fraccion, Kamrin, Cheiz and Foarmin, each also armed with a rifle.

Zephly said nothing, the negacion barrier dropped with a flick of his hand. Then Bean took a single step forward and roared in English, in a slurred southern accent "FAHRE!" Fire.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Omaeda, Iba and Ikkaku were fast enough to dodge. They disappeared in flash step and reappeared in different directions at the edge of the scene.

Soifon got hit three times in the shoulder, but the fever virus didn't affect women. While the exact reaction was unknown she wouldn't be experiencing uncontrollable lust anytime soon.

Shuhei couldn't dodge with Hanataro on his back, if he fled it exposed the healer. He also couldn't react when Izuru caught one in the back of the neck and started firing stunning Kido back at the Fraccion. Instead he roared. "REAP, KAZESHINI!" A tornado enveloped him and Hanataro, protecting them from the darts. Hanataro was well on his way to being motionsick, but it was better than getting infected. Seireitei was going to need every healer they could get if Aizen had resorted to using sickness as a weapon.

"JYOUSHIRO LOOK OUT!" Shinsui dove, shoving Ukitake to the dirt and shielding him with his body. Four of the fraccion had aimed for the two older captains, Bean especially, as he'd been just as loyal to Stark as to Grimmjow and had an especial dislike of the 8th captain for attempting to kill his hero. Most of the darts had been caught in Shinsui's cloak and been negated. So Bean took extra care, aiming for Ukitake's face and neck area. Shinsui did just as the rat like fraccion hoped, thrusting his arm in the way of the shot and taking the dart for his beloved.

Renji took three square hits in the chest, yelling out "ROAR! ZABIMARU!" and lashing out with his shikai at the barrage of ceros that followed the barrage of darts.

"Yippie yeeehawwww!" The fraccion roared as his shot hit home. He then began to set off ceros and balas all over the shinigami side, covering the escape of the other fraccion.

Four of the six ninjas had been hit. But two of those four were women. Again, with immunity to the fever virus.

Then the fraccion were fleeing. Bean was the last to go, looking over his shoulder and giggling at the shinigami. "Bah baaaaaiiii..." He slurred in southern accent english. "Whoo do Voodoo you do I kick you with hoo doo... yussier!" the rat like fraccion chanted nonsense in his glee, skipping his way back through the garganta and kicking up his heals as he disappeared. "Thats for trying to kill my idol Stark, stupid shinigami. VIVA STARK!"

Shinsui picked himself up off the ground. "Jyoushiro... are you alright?" Shinsui removed the dart from his arm and hissed. "Shit..."

"Tt... t... tai... taichou..." Omaeda looked guilty, especially when Soifon slipped off her haori to find a massive swollen red inflammatory response forming on her right shoulder.

"Omaeda, if the enemy tries that again you are ordered to do everything you can to escape it." Soifon growled at him.

"Rr... r... r... right Taichou! Can't have the entire male half of the command structure on maternity leave." he breathed a sigh of slight relief. Omaeda was terrified of the fever virus.

"no, I simply can't bear the thought of how your children would all inherit your genes that make you big, ogreish, fat, lazy, cowardly and ugly." Soifon growled, kicking him in the shins.

Omaeda whimpered at the insult. "Bb... b... b... taichou!"

"WHAAATT?" Soifon snapped.

"Are you gonna be alright? And what do you MEAN what? That was a low blow!"

"I'll be FINE. It doesn't affect women. It just affects men because you're all STUPID!" Soifon hissed, the swelling was visibly spreading down her arm and across her back. "SHIT! Where's that medic Unohana sent."

Hanataro wobbled his way over, took one look at Soifon's shoulder. "miss, you're having an immune reaction to the fever virus. I can stall it but there will be some discomfort, and you should really see Unohana taichou for that. I'm more experienced in field medicine, helping sword and cero wounds, that sort of thing, which is what we were expecting." he began to ply a glowing hand to the wound.

Renji removed the kimono part of his uniform and began to inspect the injection site. "I think I'm having a reaction to it to." The injection sites were swollen and red.

"What? That shouldn't be happening?" Hanataro ran over to Renji to look, then looked from Renji to Soifon. "Thats not the typical reaction for the fever virus. It takes anywhere from an hour to two weeks to take effect and it doesn't do /that/!"

Izuru checked the spots he'd been hit, and Shinsui the same. Neither had swelling where they'd been hit by the dart.

Ikkaku was busy calling for help. And at that moment Unohana, Isane, Mayuri and Nemu arrived on the scene. "Unohana taichou! We have more hits of what I think is the fever, but for some reason Renji is developing swelling at the injection site."

Unohana wasn't sure whom to care for first, "isane, deal with the swelling on Soifon. Get her back to the Soul Society immediately and run an emergency immune panel, we're looking for auto immune reactions as well as immune /over/ reactions and allergies. I know it seems strange." that last is to Soifon. "But sometimes you can be allergic to a particular virus or bacteria."

"I'll comply with whatever tests you need. Omaeda you're dismissed, go home and take care of that stack of paperwork on my desk."

"H... hai taichou!" Omaeda hurried back through the senkaimon.

Shinsui growled, sitting up while Mayuri pricked his finger. "this is a test we came up with to detect the fever virus quickly." It came up positive almost immediately.

Mayuri moved down the line, testing the others who were hit. Ukitake looked over at his mate and sighed. "Shinsui why did you do it? I wouldn't have minded getting hit, I've never been able to have children and you know I wanted them."

"because my Jyoukun, I know you always wanted children but your body can't handle giving birth. What if you get sick, what will it do to the baby you carry?"

"I suppose you're right, but what will happen to your alcohol use."

"Oh I can handle that." Unohana said with a faint smile. "I have some detoxifying potions that will scrub the alcohol from his system in three hours. Never fear."

Ukitake sighed, leaning against his mate. While he was secretly tickled that he'd get the chance to have children with his lovely Shinsui, he knew he'd be tired out by the end of it. Shinsui chuckled, stroking Ukitake's hair.

"The two of you head back to the fourth, Ikemura has been ordered to prepare beds for Fever victims, there will be some monitors ready and if need be some IV fluids."

One by one Unohana checked those infected over until she got to Renji. "Renji, you need to come with me, I left instructions before I left for Uryu to be notified what happened to you and brought to the soul society. But its urgent we get you back quickly."

"Unohana taichou?"

"Shhhhh..." Unohana leaned in and whispered in his ear. "We bugged the battle site with a camera and a microphone, what makes you think Zephly didn't do the same thing?"

Renji nodded, standing and following Unohana. It wasn't until they had set foot back in the soul society that Unohana gave Renji some explanation. "That sore spot, looks quite uncomfortable. I need to run some tests. But it could be a sign that you carry an immunity to the fever virus, and if thats the case, with the right data we may be able to make a vaccine for it. While Uryu can see you, I'm afraid you'll be in the hospital for a few days."

"WHAT? but aside from feeling sore I feel fine!"

"Its either the fourth or be snapped up by Kurotsuchi, which would you rather "observe" you?"

"good point. Observation for them typically means disection." Renji turned a little green and they began to walk towards the fourth, only for Renji to start sneezing uncontrollably. Until the sneezing turned to coughing. He felt his throat begin to get sore and his eyes to itch.

"Renji, are you alright?"

"hai, unohana taichou, it feels almost like hayfever."

"Any history of allergies?"

"No."

"Well something's going on, besides what the virus is supposed to do. We'll do some blood tests back at the fourth." she pulled Renji to his feet and lead him through the senkaimon.

About half an hour later, Unohana had everyone situated in the 4th, now it was time to begin treatment. She was not going to enjoy the treatment she would have to give Soifon, but she'd convinced Yoruichi to help her soften the blow.

By the time she entered the clean room, Soifon's entire right arm was swollen, red and painful. "Soifon, I'm sorry to say but..." she was scanning Soifon's arm. "your body is overreacting to the fever virus. Women are supposed to be immune, with /no/ reaction at all, the female officers from your division only had localized swelling. Your immune system treated the fever virus like a threat, a serious one. Human scientists saw a severe immune overreaction centered on the lungs with the recent swine flu, this is the same principle but with the skin and muscle tissue. This is dangerous, you could very easily lose the arm, or the immune reaction could leak into other areas of your body and cause a severe autoimmune response."

"What exactly is /that?/" Soifon demanded crossly.

"Its where your immune system turns on healthy tissue, it attacks the body's own cells. I've gone through your geneology, four of your direct ancestors suffered from autoimmune disorders of some fashion or another which raises the danger. The treatment that will stop the swelling, and hopefully prevent this from spiraling into a dangerous autoimmune disorder, is very dangerous. It suppresses the immune system temporarily. It will be administered for the time the fever virus has run its standard course, ten days. During this time you'll have to remain in this clean room. If you get a secondary infection while on this course of treatment you could very easily die."

"I see." Soifon wasn't very happy to be confined.

"I've convinced Yoruichi to keep you company. You won't be alone, and I will enter as well to keep an eye on you, the room cleanses those who enter it, so you can have visitors, but you cannot leave it."

"This is quite amusing." Yoruichi hopped up onto the bed in cat form. "Unohana you know that Soifon is an active woman. She won't cope easily with becoming the girl in the plastic bubble."

"Well, she'll have to try." Unohana sighed in disgust. "Don't worry, any germs exposed to the air in this room will be cleansed, so while you're here, you can safely be intimate without risking a secondary infection. And i'll bring you your paperwork if you're bored."

"If I give you a list of books from my quarters can you bring those too?" Soifon asked hopefully, Unohana was preparing an injection of the immune suppressant as they talked.

"I suppose, they'll have to be energy cleansed of microbes. They'll be the cleanest books you've ever owned by the time they get to you." Unohana was trying to make Soifon feel better. The clean room was one of the treatments she liked least, because it was so much like a punishment. The fourth's Brig was for injured criminals or those with mental issues. But Soifon was not a prisoner. She was a respected colleague and dear friend. Unohana knew it was for her own good but it went against the grain to quarantine Soifon.

Izuru was flopped on his back in the hospital room, forehead and body covered in sweat and body flushed. Unohana did a cursory physical examination, then an internal scan. The fever virus was aggressive, at work on removing and rearranging his organs and Izuru's abdomen was black and blue from the blood that was being rerouted or otherwise released when cells and organs lysed. Unohana once more marveled on how such a process could be used, without killing the subject. It reminded her too much of the scans of e-bola damage she'd gotten from the human world in the nineteen seventies, and this part of the process always made Unohana /shudder/ in fear at the memory. Unohana sighed, reassuring Izuru and Shuhei that the bruising would be gone in the morning, and the fever would kick in when izuru woke up the next day. But that they were to go slowly, and not over extend themselves early in the heat.

Unohana then visited Shinsui, who was curled up in Ukitake's arms, the white haired captain was staring at the massive black and blue mark on his mate's stomach with something of concern and a desire to comfort. Despite Shinsui laughing it off and joking around it worried Unohana. She administered an injection of a detoxifying medicine, used to cleanse alcohol from his system and avoid the perils of going cold turkey. "And if you begin to crave alcohol again, come get me okay? I'll give you another dose."

"Thank you Unohana, I wasn't looking forward to going cold turkey."

"Well, if you must have a drink during pregnancy, have some raspberry leaf tea." Unohana sighed. "I have to tend to renji."

"How's soifon?"

"Confined to bed rest in a clean chamber, with Yoruichi. I suggested, not to subtly that they should have sex even if they aren't infected."

Shinsui laughed.

"Take care of yourselves okay?" Unohana smiled. "I think Renji might have immunity, if thats true we might be able to make a vaccine or anti serum."

"We'll have to protect that carefully, if Zephly gets it..."

"Yeah I know." Unohana sighed. "if he gets the key to the vaccine we'll never stop him."

The puzzled expression on Renji's face as he inspected the wound he'd been injected with was rather amusing. Unohana sighed. "How are you feeling Renji?" She checked his forehead. He had a fever, but the only visible damage being done by the virus was a nasty looking swollen bump on Renji's chest, spreading out over the skin and welling up under the tattoos.

"I'm having a little trouble breathing, and I'm sore all over." Unohana listened to Renji's breathing. Wheezing. Much like an asthma attack.

She grunted. "I'm going to get you an inhaler, you're having an asthmatic reaction to the virus. But it looks like your body is fighting it off. What you have here is the key to stopping the fever virus from taking hold in the first place. It must be kept the tightest secret. I will alert the captains, and you may tell Kurosaki and his friends, but if the enemy finds out, we will /never/ stop Zephly from spreading the fever virus."

"An /inhaler?/" Renji started to cough in disappointment.

Unohana placed a breathing mask over his mouth. In a few moments Renji felt his lungs go back to normal. "If you feel like you can't breathe, use that. That should last for a few hours. If it gets worse, call the nurse, she'll come get me. I've called Uryu and told him that you're in the hospital. I'm coming back in two hours to take a blood test and check for any more symptoms. I want to see if the reaction gets worse, don't worry, if it looks like you're in danger my staff will call me immediately."

Uryu ran in just as Unohana was leaving the room. "RENJI!"

"hey Uryu." Renji pulled aside the white robe he was wearing. "Unohana says my body is fighting off the Fever." His swaggering posture was interrupted by a coughing fit and he reached for the inhaler. "Shit, hey it actually works."

"I knew it would." Unohana peered at Uryu. "Are you upset that he's immune or relieved?"

"Relieved actually." Uryu frowned. "And not because of the disturbance with Ichigo, I just don't want all the best shinigami fighters to be on maternity leave and then for there to be an emergency and nobody able to respond."

He hurried after Renji and kissed him tenderly. "I'm so glad you're alright."

"Me too."

Unohana slowly closed the door and headed for her study. On her way there, she ran into Ichigo, come to visit Renji and Uryu. "Unohana, you look tired. You should rest."

Unohana sighed. "I'm not so sure if I have the time to." she peered down at the substitute.

"You're trying to find some way to stop the fever right? You can't think if you're sleep deprived. If the healer is sick, what will happen to the seireitei? The protector must take some time out to sleep."

"I suppose you're right. I have a place to sleep here in the hospital where I'll be closer to my patients." Unohana saw the look on Ichigo's face, and realized he would not be talked out of it, and that he was entirely right.

So Unohana nixed her plans to consult with Kurotsuchi to see if he had any insights she'd missed, and instead got a good long catnap in.

* * *

's name for the fever virus, named for the Greek version of hell and the goddess of reason and defensive warfare, Athena, who was born when Zeus /literally/ got a headache so bad he split his head open.

is a sadist in nature, a stabbing zanpakuto like his could be seen as the manifestation of a rampent sexual libido.

3. At summer camp I once was taught how to use a pump action rifle to shoot skeet. But I don't remember all of how to use it, the recoil made me sore, and the noise (even with earplugs) made me startle /every/ time.

4. Quoted directly from Ender's game. However, I named him after a Chuweenie dog by the same name that doesn't like me. Owner says she's shy, but Bean has growled at me before in a classic dog signal for "Get the Fuck off me" So I dunno, does Bean like me (keeps wagging her tail when she looks at me) or does she hate me?


	15. SPECIAL! Stark Tribute, Szayel CRIES?

Notes: i was going to make a lemon only chapter next, but i've been moved by the death of Stark. In Unrest he's still alive. Bean is kinda, mweeee, grimmjow is traitor but I still have Stark-sama! But mainly thats because he uses a gun, and Bean is a hillbilly. And bean is a chiuaua/rat arrancar. He'd want to be near an arrancar who used wolves to attack, pack instinct.

But in this case, Zephly is going to be confronted far too early with some of the consequences of his actions. From the moment I saw Stark's battle and his death I fell in love. This chapter is special, Stark this one is for you. 333

and I know the perfect song to capture this moment, "Comatose" by skillet.

* * *

Zephly and Szayel had been very very in love, but they avoided one topic for quite a long while. Szayel had been the submissive during the fever, for him and two others. But Zephly was the one he wanted.

Zephly put his book down, and turned to Szayel. "We need to talk. I'm sorry but we have to. I've felt it, the change in your body. I've smelled the pheromones you give off. Szayel I love you dearly, we need to talk about it."

"I know." Szayel replied. "Nnoitra and Stark. Nnoitra was an animal, and we were together for awhile before I found you. But he's afraid of confronting those he fucked that night. Stark was... strange. Zephly there's something wrong with him. He was an absolute whore, but he cried the entire time, he was calling for Lilinette. The entire time I was fucking him he cried 'all I want is my lillinette, I don't want any other child I can't live without my lillinette!'"

Zephly's expression was one of instant concern. "He said that? He'd rather die?"

"yes."

"I wish you'd told me that /months/ ago! SHIT. If you had /told/ me he was in that bad a psychological shape I would have checked him for pregnancy and reccomended it be terminated. People can become delusional and suicidal from pregnancy hormones. And this late in the game, we can't stop it." He got up and sonido'd out of there.

"Like I /know/ anything about pregnancy beyond the biological processes?" Szayel ran after him, top sonido, to stark's chamber's.

Bean's scream of agony made them run harder. Then they felt the reiatsu roaring from Stark's chamber. "WHAT THE HELL?"

Bean's eyes rolled back in his head, his hand disintegrating in front of them as ominously as if Barragan had used Respira on it. Szayel's instinct immediately was to pull the fraccion away. "BEAN, get ahold of yourself! RUN! His reiatsu will tear you apart!" He shoved the panicking underling down the hall.

"Go to the infirmary Bean, I'll take care of you there!"

Bean stumbled down the hall, then disappeared with sonido, recovering his wits as he got further away. "GOSH DURNED IT STARK-SAMA I WAS TRYING TO HELP YEW!"

_I hate feeling like this  
I'm so tired of trying to fight this  
I'm asleep and all I dream of_

_Is waking to you  
Tell me that you will listen  
Your touch is what I'm missing  
And the more I hide I realize I'm slowly losing you _

Szayel plunged into the storm after Zephly. "Zephly stay back! his reiatsu will tear you to pieces!"

Stark was screaming and writhing on the ground, tears in his eyes. "Please no... not again... I can't lose another one... please, PLEASE I JUST WANT LILLINETTE! I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT HER LILLINEEETEEEEEE!"

"STARK! STARK! What's happening?" Zephly demanded.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO? WHAT DID YOU DO?" Stark demanded, biting Zephly's hand when he tried to touch him. "The only one I want is my lillinette! Don't make me have another! HOW COULD YOU MAKE ME HAVE ANOTHER?"

_I'll never wake up without an overdose of you_

_I don't wanna live  
I don't wanna breathe  
'les I feel you next to me  
you take the pain I feel  
waking up to you never felt so real  
I don't wanna sleep  
I don't wanna dream  
'cause my dreams don't comfort me  
The way you make me feel  
Waking up to you never felt so real _

"Another... Stark are you telling me you got pregnant before?" Szayel demanded.

Suddenly stark couldn't talk anymore, all he could do was scream. Zephly ripped open his shirt and uniform. Stark's abdomen had something moving around in it. This wasn't something he had anticipated. "did the virus do this? STARRRRRKK!" Zephly yelled, throwing his arms around the other arrancar. "Stark TALK TO ME!"

Stark's soul was in unbearable pain. Something had gone wrong with Zephly's fever virus. Stark had been plunging deeper and deeper into despair, spurred by the hormones of pregnancy and the agony of losing a part of him when he felt another life growing in him, it just spurred him deeper into grief. He'd become a recluse. Lillinette was a piece of his soul. In essence, he had given birth to her and in some ways he considered her his child, his /daughter/. He didn't want to bring another child into the world, he'd rather die, all he wanted was his Lillinette back, and that could never be. an abortion never occured to him, Stark was a loving arrancar. He wanted love more than anything else in the world. Most arrancar wanted to be strong. Stark wanted to be weak.

_I hate living without you  
Dead wrong to ever doubt you  
But my demons lay in waiting  
Tempting me away  
Oh how I adore you  
Oh how I thirst for you  
Oh how I need you _

Stark /howled/, clinging to Zephly. He knew all the signs that his soul was about to split again, and spawn another. He was fighting it so badly that it created the storm of reiatsu. Stark had never told anybody about Lilinette's origins. He thought that Aizen might have guessed. Their powers were too unusual.

But the other Espada didn't know the secret of their primera. A secret Zephly would have needed to know, or he wouldn't have infected him, the risk of killing Stark in the process was too high. But he felt the reclusive Primera would have great genes to pass to the next generation. That he was loving and kind and would raise a child with the same tenderness. That he needed love. He didn't realize that Stark had been hiding both a secret and such incredible pain.

Zephly could feel it, on Stark's reiatsu, he could feel his agony and his arrogance about the Fever Virus, for the moment shattered. He knew he'd messed up. "PLEASE! TELL ME HOW TO HELP YOU!"

_I'll never wake up without an overdose of you _

_Breathing life  
Waking up  
My eyes open up _

At that moment, biology took over, and Stark lost the battle. He felt his body rip itself apart. He heard the crying of a child. Unlike Lilinette, this one was born a baby. Stark didn't need to look at his body to realize he was in bad shape, his ribs were emaciated, his waist so skinny. It had sucked nutrients, will, and souls from the many that had formed into his body, but the virus had done its job.

He passed out, vision going black, tears in his eyes. And at that moment he hated Shunsui Kyouraku so much. He wanted to kill him. But he just didn't have the will or the power. At this point he truly didn't care if he never woke up again.

_Comatose  
I'll never wake up without an overdose of you  
Oh how I adore you  
Waking up to never felt so real  
Oh how I thirst for you  
Waking up to never felt so real  
Oh how I adore you, ohhhh  
The way you make me feel  
Waking up to never felt so real _

Stark...

"Stark wake up... Stark please!" Zephly's voice nagged Stark to wakefullness. "please stark open your eyes! Stark I'm SORRY! If I had known I never would have done it!" Zephly sobbed. Stark was in spiritual agony. Zephly's apology only just made him madder. He'd even attached an IV. At that point Stark just didn't want to be saved. He wanted to die. The only one he wanted was Lilinette. He would have welcomed another child with open arms, but only if she were still alive. Thats why he'd had sex so many times during the fever. He wanted to make the pain stop.

_I hate feeling like this  
I'm so tired of trying to fight this  
I'm asleep and all I dream of_

_Is waking to you  
Tell me that you will listen  
Your touch is what I'm missing  
And the more I hide I realize I'm slowly losing you_

_Comatose  
I'll never wake up without an overdose of you _

"Coo." The sound, and the feel of tiny hands clinging to his body trying to wake him made shocks of pain go through his entire soul. Stark just squeezed his eyes shut, refusing to acknowledge the life he brought into the world, his expression agonized.

"COO!" the cry was more urgent, the child tugging on his mask. Stark turned his head away. His heart was just too broken.

"Don't make me, please don't make me." He mumbled, delirious with grief and pain.

"This isn't good. He's refusing to acknowledge his own child. Spontaneous generation, damn, thought they'd proved that one a myth. A soul so strong and lonely that it can split to make its own kin rather than live in agony. Szayel, you should have told me he was suicidal, I would have reccomended he get an abortion. The virus combined with the pregnancy to make his soul unstable. He could have died."

"I'm not used to talking." Szayel replied. "I've never really had a serious relationship with anyone before. I'm not used to reaching out, or giving a damn." And Zephly was rubbing off on him, Szayel was actually starting to care about other people.

"You're already scaring me, I don't need to lose two people I care about in one day."

He... cared? Zephly wasn't just some sarcastic crochety old man? He cared?

_I don't wanna live  
I don't wanna breathe  
'les I feel you next to me  
you take the pain I feel  
waking up to you never felt so real  
I don't wanna sleep  
I don't wanna dream  
'cause my dreams don't comfort me  
The way you make me feel  
Waking up to you never felt so real _

The tiny hands and feet were up and crawling instantly, a mischievious giggle as they crawled down Stark's body. What on earth?

Stark's eye edged open just a little, trying to figure out what the hell was going on?

"thats it stark, show some interest. Please i'm begging you." He squeezed his eyes shut again, turned his head away again in rejection and was about to pretend to go to sleep.

Tiny hands punching him in the groin shocked Stark to alertness, may have been a baby, but the child was /really/ strong, and his reaction to being punched in the privates was too hard wired. Stark yelled, sitting up straight.

_I hate living without you  
Dead wrong to ever doubt you  
But my demons lay in waiting  
Tempting me away  
Oh how I adore you  
Oh how I thirst for you  
Oh how I need you_

_Comatose  
I'll never wake up without an overdose of you _

"COOOOOOO!" the child had gotten him awake, and Stark felt his emaciated body connect with a solid, demanding little body that clung to his chest, begging for love, as if to say 'see? i'm here!'. He looked down, and for a moment what he saw didn't make any sense.

Green hair, red markings on the mask. The tiny mask was /identical/ to Lilinette. His eyes widened. He'd heard of reincarnation, but so soon? How... HOW? How had his body known? Had the virus copied her. "l... l... Lillinette!" He gasped. Was she the original, or his grief making a wish real? His heart ached, racing a million miles an hour in his chest.

"Coo! Coo!" the child clung to the ribs that were showing through his chest. "Cooooooo." She was so worried, he felt it was a she, he knew it was a she even though Zephly had put a diaper on her already. The baby lillinette was running fingers down his ribs, almost as if she were counting them, whimpering in empathy with his pain and confusion.

"I don't believe it... she's the spitting image... how did... he killed her, he killed my lillinette I saw him!" Stark groaned, barely able to believe what he was seeing. A heart long since carved from his chest ached, broken, hoping against hope that it was the same person, but how could it? Was she the same lillinette?

"Lilinette came from you?" Szayel asked.

_Breathing life  
Waking up  
My eyes open up _

"The shinigami thought she was just a weapon, but my reiatsu, it was so powerful it killed anyone that got near me. I didn't want to be alone anymore, so desperately. I started to feel sick, and my head hurt, it kept happening for months, then one day I collapsed, my body just divided and she was there. Thats why I joined the Espada. I wanted someone strong, some amount of contact, of affection, who wouldn't die just by coming near us!"

"Arrancar have special DNA, highly unstable. Lillinette's DNA was probably encoded within you, you had the key to bringing her back inside of you the whole time." Szayel had tears in his eyes, dabbing at his sleeve. "But you were so heart broken, so lethargic, so suicidal, you were able to make a whole, grown child appear from your body the first time, the second time, because you fought so hard not to make it happen, you didn't have the strength to make her appear as a grown child. She appeared as a baby." Szayel gave the baby Lilinette another poke and she responded by biting his hand. "OW! Definitely the Lilinette I remember."

"I didn't know what to do. I hurt so badly I just wanted to die. But something inside me screamed 'don't do it'. I felt sick, every time I thought about dying, every time I wanted to die, I felt sick inside. Like something was screaming at me to stop. But it hurt so bad, I couldn't take the pain of producing another lillinette, only to have her die again."

_Comatose  
I'll never wake up without an overdose of you  
Oh how I adore you  
Waking up to never felt so real  
Oh how I thirst for you  
Waking up to never felt so real  
Oh how I adore you, ohhhh  
The way you make me feel  
Waking up to never felt so real _

"She was calling to you, telling you that if you died she would to." Szayel replied. **my eyes are wet. **Szayel realized. **am i... /crying/? oh my god. i've never felt like this before. something inside me is melting. DAMNIT stay /strong/ Szayel, you're the Espada of insanity you can't crumble like this NOW! **but what came next just broke Szayel right then and there.

"I was only willing to have children if Lillinette was there. I would have wanted a family desperately." Stark said quietly. "But not without her. I couldn't stop grieving. I felt like a part of me died with her. When I realized it was happening again, that I was pregnant, I just wanted to die. It hurt so bad. Feeling life grow and unable to let go of the other life I'd had."

"well, your power coupled with an arrancar's regenerative powers, brought her back. I think." Szayel was fascinated, but couldn't stop /crying/. "Zephly?"

Zephly's tanned face was white. "Don't scare me like that again." He growled. "From now on, you and Lillinette will hang with me and Szayel. I don't want you to be in pain like that. I thought I'd killed you." Zephly started to sob.

"I'm still angry, but... but I have another chance. Thank you." Stark started to cry. "Zephly you'll be alright. Just..."

"God Stark, look at you. The next time you're feeling distress TELL ME. I wouldn't have... I COULD HAVE KILLED YOU!"

"Zephly shut up. I have Lilinette back, that outweighs any anger or resentment /or/ danger by a long margin. You gave me back my reason for living." Stark clung to the baby Lillinette, who coo'd happily, holding tightly to his chest and sucking her thumb.

Tousen was tired, but the disturbance in Stark's quarters made Wonderweiss /run/ in that direction, screaming like a banshee and dragging him by the robes. "Wonderweiss what... What happened here!" He tried to be stern. But Wonderweiss' strange ululations frightened him, like someone was so in pain, so in despair, they would die and then, the halfwit's cries of fear turned into wonder, then excitement, then a squeel of glee!

"Tousen-sama!" Szayel's expression was giddy. "We had our first birth, come see who's back!"

Tousen frowned. "you know I can't... OOF!"

a tiny body squealed with a happy "COOOOO!" and suddenly Tousen was being face hugged by a baby who could already crawl, and appearantly jump, who's reiatsu felt incredibly familiar. He carefully pried the arrancar child from his face and cradled her in his arms, puzzled by Wonderweiss' happy cries, like he was welcoming someone home who had been gone for a long time, but he knew would come back. Wonderweiss hadn't been infected with the fever, but he'd been acting strangely around those who were pregnant from it. Tousen wondered if Wonderweiss was somehow tuned in to births in the area.

Tousen patted the baby's mask over gently, and suddenly a happy reiatsu inserted itself into his, cuddling against him with an air of relief and giddy happiness. One who felt so familiar. But what...

"Its lillinette... Tousen-sama. I'm not sure how..." Stark sounded absolutely gastly. "she's been reborn, from me, as a baby. But i'm not in very good shape, feel my ribs."

With permission, Tousen silently ran his free hand over Stark's ribs. They were showing, and his waistline was severely emaciated. "Rest Stark, you've had a rough... ooph! I will find you some hollows to feed on, you need sustenance badly."

"Thank you Tousen-sama."

"I'll use my technique to compress some gillians into energy balls. It should help." Szayel's voice was strange to the blind man. Was he /crying?/

Wonderweiss kept making the most peculiar sounds, Tousen could tell he was happy, clinging to his robes to try and get a look at Lillinette, who coo'd happily, hopping onto the medical bed next to stark and reaching out to the halfwit, who walked over, letting the baby climb on his shoulder.

Tousen then realized what had happened. Stark was able to somehow bring back the arrancar he considered his only love and only daughter.

"what he never told us was that Lillinette is a part of Stark. So she can come back to life through him if she's killed."

"Sounds like a shinigami's zanpakuto." Tousen wasn't sure what to make of this. He'd have a better idea if he could see. But he'd accepted his lack of sight a long time ago.

Zephly walked over, observing the interactions between Wonderweiss and the infant Lillinette.

"Cooooo, coo coo!" Lillinette reached out, patting Wonderweiss's face with a chubby hand.

"oooaaaaaaah." Wonderweiss' eyes were huge, his reiatsu and body filled with happiness.

"Cooooooo!" this lillinette seemed to want to hug everyone. Even Wonderweiss. And it wasn't long before she was clinging to his back. Wonderweiss turned in circles. "Woaaaaaaah." Trying to get a good look at what she was doing.

"Coo coo coo!" Lilinette gave his neck a snuggle before jumping back onto Stark. Stark let out an "OOF. Easy Lillinette! My ribs!" And the response was a coo of apology and devotion. Unlike the halfwitted Wonderweiss, it was clear this infant had a full set of adult wits, tempered with the innocence and affection of a child. Or maybe. Stark thought, she was so relieved to be back, and be born.

Suddenly Lillinette crawled over to him, pressing her forehead to Stark's. Her huge baby eyes looking into his fell closed. He heard her voice in his head, sleepy but plain as day the voice he could remember. /Stark, my beautiful Stark, don't ever scare me like that again! I am a part of you, no matter what happens to me, i'll be able to use that man's invention to come back again. Don't cry, don't hurt, it hurt me so bad to see you in pain. I felt that you wanted to die. I would have been whole, but you were in such distress, I had to SAVE YOU! I won't be able to talk to you again until I grow, but please, remember how much I love you, and live for me. Be happy./ Lillinette fell asleep, her forehead against his. /And for gods sake, get knocked up for real this time and have a few dozen children. I want some playmates./

Stark burst into tears, stammering... "D... d... dozen? I don't think I'll have that many. But I will find you a playmate. I promise." He said quietly, holding Lillinette tightly in his arms, refusing to let her go. "I will Lillinette my lovely. I will." and Stark passed out again, but this time, for a moment, his soul felt so alive, he almost forgot his heart was just a hole. It was funny, his soul had just split into two, again, but he had never felt so whole.


	16. Neurotic Nnoitra and Starks New Family

Notes: i'm gonna do some stuff in hueco mundo. So be ready... lol. ARRANCAR DRAMA! You will laugh, you will cry, Szayel will learn to feel, Nnoitra will be exposed for a douchebag, stark will find romance while he recovers, Gin will get sexxors that turns Szayel on, Bean will get a new hand.

The chapter starts before Stark's rebirthing of Lilinette, by a matter of hours.

* * *

Szayel had been rather... unhinged. The Espada of Insanity found himself unnerved for once.

As pregnancy took hold, his love for Zephly deepened. But he felt strange. Blank, empty, he was used to not giving a damn. Emotion was weakness! His heart, such as he had, was in conflict. But what else was new? He was the Espada of Insanity, and so a certain amount of it was expected of him.

Gin had awoken and left the infirmary an hour ago, so Szayel was incredibly surprised to hear his screams of pleasure coming from his storeroom.

* * *

Aizen was surprised at the speed with which Gin developed the fever symptoms. They didn't even make it back to their quarters, had been forced to have sex in a random storeroom.

Gin was bent over a stack of crates, naked as the day he was born, /begging/ for Aizen to fuck him. Aizen knew that Gin was either bleeding or near it, he'd come four times, and he still wanted more.

Aizen was very close to sexually losing control, something he'd prided himself on. He sucked on the skin of Gin's shoulder.

Gin, like stark and nnoitra before him, had become a sexual beast. And he /loved/ it. Aizen's seed was spreading through his womb and it drove him wild. The man's cock was enormous. And this normally thrilled Gin, but now it threw him into a frenzy. His body was milking every drop of semen it could suck from his lover's erection.

"SOUSSSUUUKEEEE!" Gin yammered. "oh god SOUUUUSUUUUKEEEE! Harder, more! Fuck me, knock me up oh please Sousuuuuukeeeeee... I want a baby so bad!" He was whining and begging whorishly, attempting to throw his koibito into a frenzy. Well, some of it wasn't even deliberate. But he knew what Aizen liked, even fever driven.

Aizen hissed, whispering in his ear. "I don't want to bruise you, shit Gin your body is so... /hot./" Aizen was in heaven. He felt centuries younger. Gin's body was twice as hot as it normally was. The heat was maddening.

Aizen knew that when he became unhinged, it was never good. He'd perfected control of his super powerful reiatsu and zanpakuto over centuries of practice, kept it secret by an unnatural gift for concealment. He didn't cope well with losing control!

"oh gin... gin my beautiful Gin... GIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!" Aizen screamed as he came, filling his lover for the fifth time.

Gin had stopped begging, was he done? Was that it?

"Sou-" yawn "suke... I'm tired, can you carry me to our room? And do it with me naked in your arms. I want to traumatize the underlings."

Aizen laughed, then turned.

Szayel was in the doorway, with a tent in his robes, jaw on the floor, eyes /huge./

"oh hello Szayel, did you enjoy the show?" Aizen asked, turning in such a way as to show off his well muscled chest.

Szayel disappeared.

Gin laughed, then suddenly he fell asleep in Aizen's arms, before they'd even seperated.

Aizen wrapped Gin up in his robes and flash stepped to their room so fast, no more underlings had to suffer nosebleeds. But Kamrin squealed in surprise when two half naked bosses flash stepped past her. "Bow chicka wow wow. Go get it bossman!"

Zephly had been doing a workup on the lineage of known pregnancies that had appeared. But he was missing quite a bit and was so absorbed in his work he didn't see it coming.

Then Szayel tackled him, kissing him on the floor of his office. "hello."

"G... g... gin... and aizen..."

"huh?"

"fucking in my storeroom."

"oh my. They didn't even make it to the bed. Thats passion." Zephly kissed Szayel tenderly. "And you have a little problem as a result. How cute." Zephly purred. "Do you want me to take care of it?"

"oh my god yes." Szayel groaned. "I've been feeling more... sexy... lately." Zephly's hands spread to his stomach. "Zeph, oh my god zeph..." As soon as he was touched there, Szayel felt shocks of pleasure go up his body. Szayel blushed as Zephly removed his robes and kissed at his stomach. "I don't get it, shouldn't I be bigger?"

"you wouldn't have as much of a belly as a shinigami would. Probably wouldn't show much till the very end, why, would you want to be walking around the forteleza too fat to fight?"

"guess not." Szayel blushed, then moaned in pleasure as Zephly sucked his cock into his mouth. Szayel groaned, "zephly... my Zephly..." He groaned.

"OYE!"

Both men jumped up, Szayel grabbing for his clothes. It was Tesla, the man had a black eye, and crying. Then he saw what they were doing and blushed hugely. He turned around so that Szayel could change. "s... sorry..."

"Nnoitra being a bitch again?"

"He's completely /unreasonable!/" Tesla wailed. "I mean look at me!" he pulled open his shirt and Zephly could see the numerous bruises on his chest. "I managed to protect my stomach. But every time I try to get near him he won't even touch me unless its to try and fight me off!" Tesla wailed. "I need him now! My whole body screams for him! a... and he just... freaks out!"

"Alright Tesla let me just..." Zephly reached out, carefully healing Tesla's bruises before checking his womb. "Everything's alright, including the baby. I'm surprised you didn't get passed around more, you're pretty. I'd think the men would have..."

"Nnoitra was the only one I..." Tesla blushed. "the only one I wanted."

"thats good." Zephly sighs. "at least someone kept their head."

"But what are you going to do?"

"you leave that to me. I'm gonna summon Nnoitra for a physical. The man acted like a whore I refuse to believe he didn't get pregnant. Especially when I saw yammy haul him into a closet." Zephly growled. "and there ain't no way he can avoid getting topped by the cero, Yammy's too large and Nnoitra's too slender and girly. The man would snap him like a twig."

"DONT GO YET!" Tesla cried. "I need someone! I just need... come company..." he drooped.

So Zephly spent the next hour comforting Tesla's bout of hormones, and then the thing with stark happened.

And so by the time he got Nnoitra to come in, Stark was awake on the medical bed, cradling the sleeping infant Lilinette. His body was emaciated, and Szayel had gone out to catch a Gillian to use for food.

"What the hell happened to you?" Nnoitra demanded. "Lilinette! You're back!" He exclaimed. The baby Lilinette opened one eye, and gave Nnoitra a raspberry, before going back to sleep.

"The method by which I give birth is /different./" Stark replied, yawning.

"Szayel has gone Gillian Hunting to fatten Stark back up again. He's lost at least ten percent of his body weight. Though I've asked him to get a few of them." Zephly added. "HERE." He pressed a bottle of pills into Nnoitra's hand.

"Whats that for?"

"They're pills to make you /very/ happy. I think you're suffering from some kind of anxiety disorder over the Fever Virus."

"THEYRE GONNA EAT ME!" Nnoitra freaked out.

"no, they aren't." Zephly sighed, taking an injection and shoving it into Nnoitra's neck. "But Tesla right now /needs/ your support. Your /emotional/ support. He needs your /help!/" Zephly told him. "He's heart broken. You're the only one he wants. And I don't mean as in /food./"

Nnoitra hissed, flinching as he was injected. "What the hell do you..."

The reaction Nnoitra felt was near instant. He'd been terrified, nonstop. Of being eaten. Beyond the normal hollow or arrancar fear of it. And suddenly he felt that ease. He looked down at the bottle in his hands, and slowly pocketed it.

"Now listen, you get someone pregnant its supposed to be a bonding experience. Its a life changing event. Make Tesla your one and only. And if you can't stick to just one, thats fine, tell him that."

Nnoitra blinked. "I..."

"Nnoitra, you're going to be a father many times over, you should rejoice. But while I've got you." Zephly took a blood sample, again from Nnoitra's neck.

"Quit that will you?" he demanded, swatting at it.

"You won't let me touch you, I have to do a pregnancy exam. With anxiety like that, I have to make sure its not hormonal."

"I am /not/." Nnoitra blushed. "Pregnant!"

Zephly ignored him, running the blood test anyway. "hmmm..."

"Am I?" Nnoitra flushed.

"I did see you drag Yammy off." he frowns. "However, I determined Yammy was sterile. He was taking some kind of supplement that rendered him that way. But from what I heard, you were a bit of a whore."

"you didn't answer my /question./" Nnoitra hissed. "Hell, I don't even remember most of the men I had sex with. I just went... crazy! god I'm /still/ crazy!"

Zephly paused, holding up the test. "yes." He replied. "I have to examine you."

"NO!" Nnoitra replied. "get /away/ from me! This is /your/ fault!" Nnoitra began to show signs of /more/ panic. "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO DID THIS TO ME! NO WAY IN HELL I'M LETTING YOU TOUCH ME! GET AWAY!" He screamed at Zephly. "YOU HEAR ME! YOU AREN'T LAYING A HAND ON ME YOU FREAK!"

"it doesn't have to be today, but you could end up hurting yourself or the child." Zephly sighed, seriously wishing Arisu or Warren were here, they were always better at calming patients that were giving him a headache.

"But I don't want to end up looking like /him!/" Nnoitra thrust a finger hysterically at Stark.

"Stark's anatomy is unusual, and his condition is the result."

Szayel came in then, covered in blood, but dragging a wheelbarrow of some kind of large, pink energy ball. "Zephly love, I brought lunch."

Nnoitra flinched, but to his credit, and that of the anti anxiety medicine Zephly had given him, he didn't scream and run. "nnoitra, come have a meal with us, I caught some yummy Gillians." Szayel licked his lips, but handed Stark one before taking one for himself.

Nnoitra sneered, then grabbed one and took a seat against the wall, grabbed the results of his pregnancy test as Zephly had done a print out of the blood test, careful to keep everyone in the room in sight. He started eating, taking his time.

Zephly took one for himself. "Aaah, Tesla!" Tesla had crashed in Zephly and Szayel's quarters after his outburst, only coming out to gush over Lilinette's return. "Come eat with us, Szayel caught some gillians for our lunch."

"Yum." Tesla paused. "nnoitra? Are you alright?"

"leave me alone." Nnoitra hissed.

Tesla's eyes filled with tears again. "FINE!" He snatched his share of the Gillian balls Szayel had made and sat near Stark. "she's adorable Stark. You'll make such a great father, unlike /someone/ I know."

"I would SO!" Nnoitra was on the verge of throwing a tantrum.

"You don't even care that I'm pregnant!" Tesla cried. "You bedded all those different men, and you don't care that /any/ of them are having your /babies!/" He yelled.

Nnoitra did something surprising. He got up, walked over to Tesla and kissed him. "Tesla, you are... beautiful. But you have absolutely no idea whats going through my head right now. I'm lost, hurt, and confused and until about ten minutes ago I was terrified of my own shadow." He wrapped his arms around Tesla. And the fraccion dropped his meal, the half finished energy ball rolling a foot or two away. "Please, just because I act mean doesn't mean I'm not scared, and it doesn't mean I don't care." he said quietly. "Just... give me some time Tesla. Thats all I need, time." He sighed, handing Tesla the test results silently and going back to his seat.

Tesla blinked, looking down at the paper Nnoitra had just shoved into his hand. "b... but this says..."

Nnoitra refused to look Tesla in the eye. His entire being, despite being outwardly calmer, was terrified. He closed his one eye, focusing his pesquisa inwards. That's when he started to shake. He felt it, the baby, there was only one, thankfully, that meant he had only bottomed for one person, but he couldn't remember who it was! "Z... Zephly... you wanted to examine me, do it tomorrow okay? I... just need some time." He got up, "I... I was just so out of my mind with lust... I can't even remember most of the partners I took except Tesla."

"Its okay... I made that virus to bring subconscious feelings forwards. Maybe subconsciously you're just very sexually driven. And maybe afterwards, your own insecurities came to the surface in response to what you'd done."

Nnoitra finished his meal, and got up again, pulling Tesla into his arms. "Come sit with me..." He said quietly, not really hearing Zephly. He pulled Tesla back to where he'd been sitting, pulling his fraccion into his lap and looping arms around his waist.

Tesla blushed, turning around in Nnoitra's arms so he was straddling his hips, resting his head on his chest. _This is as close as I can come to saying I'm sorry Tesla. My own body feels strange and alien to me, and Zephly's right, I act like a big bully, but inside I'm just so scared. What right do they have to do this to my body, and say that I'll still be alright. _

Nnoitra relaxed with Tesla in his arms. _My body is... relaxing... around him. What the hell...? I've been terrified of everyone else!_

He sighed, finishing his share of the gillian balls and hoisting Tesla up over his shoulder. "We're gonna have this talk in private."

Tesla blushed as he was carried away. "nn... Nnoitra-sama..."

"Look, drop the -sama now." Nnoitra said as they left.

Stark managed to get up the strength to put Lillinette in the crib Zephly provided. "sleep Lilinette." As the infirmary cleared out and he finished his meal, he felt much stronger. "Thanks, that Gillian restored some of my strength."

"Then you'll be eating a few of them a day, I'll watch Lilinette while you and Szayel feed." Zephly purred. "But Szayel and I wanted to talk to you. Why don't you join us?"

Zephly and Szayel came in from either side, each wrapping their arms against the emaciated arrancar, each burying their faces in a shoulder.

"J... join you? I'm not comprehending..."

"its very simple Stark. You always hated being alone, you and Lilinette don't have to be anymore. Make our couple a threesome, we'll consider her to be our daughter as much as she is yours, and take you as our lover."

Stark blinked, "on one condition."

"Hmm?"

"I want to get pregnant again, and experience the entire thing properly." Stark gulped hopefully. With Lilinette around, he wanted children.

"To do that, we have to get your body weight up and make sure that mentally you're prepared. You lost a large amount of your bodymass. That has to be done by feeding you as many hollows as you can get your hands on. Just like when you were an adjuchas trying to evolve. Only the stakes aren't as high." Zephly's glance at Szayel

"To spawn lilinette you had to detach some of the souls from your body. If you do not replenish those and you attempt to get pregnant, you will die. The baby forms by taking some of the souls you ate as a hollow from your body and rebirthing them as an arrancar. And it won't be an instant process getting pregnant either. Not like it was with the initial fever. I think we can have you back on your feet in about a week. For now, take a rest. If you must get exercise, go to the world of the living and eat hollows. Not a single human soul, those will only complicate the process. Just hollows."

"Alright." Stark groaned, turning to kiss each in turn. The thought of finally, /officially/ having someone, not only that someone who could help him raise Lilinette properly, was a bigger turn on than any other possible sexual advance. "shit... I'm really... enjoying this."

Zephly set a baby monitor next to Lilinette's crib, and scooped up stark, throwing him over his shoulder. "Then lets get busy aye? I doubt you'll get pregnant /immediately/ after giving birth with your body in the shape its in. And even if you do, we'll have you right as rain by the time it does." (1)

"Good." Stark purred. Szayel followed them inside.

The instant the trio entered Zephly's private quarters, Stark started to purr, hauling Szayel down into his arms while Zephly pulled Stark into his lap from behind.

"heh, got an idea. Zephy, you take Stark, and I'll just... make myself comfortable on his cock hmmm?" Stark felt his cock throb in response to the thought.

"Sounds like fun." Zephly looked over at Stark. "I think... its time we... showed you what its like not to ever be alone." He started kissing his way along Stark's shoulders, removing his clothing, and his own clothing, piece by piece and kissing as much as he can reach. Stark moaned, wriggling in his grip, but relaxing when he felt Zephly press two slickened fingers into his entry and began to stretch the muscles.

Szayel grinned, making a show of stripping and prepping himself for Stark, and the primera just couldn't look away, eyes smouldering with desire. Once he was all ready to go, Szayel began to do a variation of a strip tease in Stark/Zephly's combined laps.

"oh wow, are you... always like this?" Stark was somewhat surprised at Szayel's sexual prowess.

"Szayel has quite a few sexual proclivities he keeps private Stark." Zephly purred, leaning back with one arm around Stark's waist. "But this isn't a time for a show."

He lifted Stark's frame, fearfully light to him, into his lap. With a little bit of arranging, all three men were prepped, and Stark was carefully lifted onto Zephly's erect member. Zephly was sucking on a sensitive spot on Stark's neck, trying to distract his fellow Espada from the pain.

Stark groaned, his body had always been hyper sensitive to touch, and Zephly, while not as enormous as some arrancar males, was substantial enough to be quite satisfying. And the hands gripping his waist were sending pleasure shocks through his stomach. He moaned and writhed in Zephly's grip. Somewhere in there he noticed that Szayel was staring at him intently, like an animal about to pounce on prey. "Oh my god... Z... Z... Zephly..." Stark moaned, as Zephly completely hilted himself inside of him.

Szayel made sure that Stark had a very good view of his ass as he slowly, agonizingly descended onto Stark's cock. Stark's eyes widened and he felt those two dark eyes watching every movement. All three of them were well endowed men, and Szayel felt Stark's hitched intake of breath. "so tight..."

"So large." Szayel purred. "oooooooooooooh..." He groaned, hilting Stark quickly. "Oooohh... Zephly hurry up... I want... oooooooh..."

Zephly began to thrust upwards, lifting stark up and down on his cock. Szayel followed suit, able to move himself as he didn't want Stark to strain himself after being hurt. It didn't take long for all three to build up a rhythm and then Stark to shift his angle so that Zephly was pounding his prostate.

Szayel took it a bit more slowly, but having had his share of threesomes, he was a bit more experienced than poor Stark. Stark moaned, writhed, and the sounds he made, almost feminine whines and groans just threw Zephly and Szayel into a frenzy.

Stark's world dissolved into one of pleasure, and he could hardly believe the noises coming out of his mouth were his. The pleasure was building up in his gut, coiling up inside of him like a spring. Szayel's body, for all his sexual exploits, was so tight it was maddening. His frame, his hips were so girly. It was incredibly /hot./

And then he screamed, coming hard, his orgasm rocking his body. He felt Zephly spill into him felt Szayel moaning and watched as he dipped his hand down to get some of his cum onto his fingers. Stark blinked, only to find the same two fingers shoved into his mouth.

Stark moaned, his tongue lavishing the digits before sucking on them, a soft growl came from his lips. "oh god Stark... if you keep doing that I'm going to need to do this again."

"Then we'd better stretch our legs." Zephly carefully pried himself loose. "Come on boys. We still have to fix Bean's hand."

* * *

Meanwhile, two new figures kneeled before Aizen, who had managed to pry himself loose from Gin long enough to get some work done.

"Arisu Kitty, Pythias Warren, welcome to los Noches. I am giving you the ranks that once belonged to traitors Grimmjow Jaegerjaques and Ulquiorra Schiffer. Espada Sexta Pythias Warren, Espada Cuerta Arisu Kitty, rise."

They stood. "Pythias Warren, I am giving you a job, secure passage from los Noches to Soul society, keep passage between the two worlds a possibility but do not reveal it to the shinigami. To prove your daring, I am asking you to use your unique abilities, to torment young Ichigo Kurosaki."

"of course sir."

* * *

1. Human women typically cannot get pregnant I think its... 3 months after giving birth.


	17. Chapter 17

Notes: I'm rocking the first Kekkaishi theme, but I'm not that much into the anime beyond the cake and Madarao and some of the Ayakashi and other creatures that show up. After all, why have Kekkaishi around when Bleach can take care of any restless spirits hanging around.

I'm also LOVING that the Amagai arc came to the States. WOOT! Know what I'm loving even more? FISH CAKE! Roflmao. Well we always knew isane had a dream about fishcakes, just not what that dream entailed. But Byakuya in a rubber suit? Too bizzare.

* * *

Ryuken had slept through most of the day following his infection, almost as if his human body needed more recovery time than the more robust shinigami forms. But he awoke about an hour before Zephly's attempts to infect more shinigami with a raging hard on, smooshed between Urahara and Isshin.

Ryuken groaned, there was a soft noise from Urahara, and the blond shinigami snuggled his head against Ryuken's chest in his sleep. "Shit." Ryuken muttered. He pushed Urahara, then reached around to pinch Isshin. "oye, wake up, oye!"

The other two woke up, and Ryuken rolled over on his back, arms and legs splayed out. He'd fallen asleep shirtless and his erection poked up in a ridiculously obvious fashion. "I really, really, really, need relief." Ryuken blushed, hugely, and Urahara leaned down, kissing him passionately, only for the quincy to sit up and scramble to get his pants and boxers off like they'd been filled with ants. Completely naked, he proceeded to tug at Isshin's clothes while urahara stripped and began to kiss and caress his back and neck.

Somehow in the jumble of hot, sweaty limbs, all three men ended up naked, clothes scattered wildly around the bedroom. "Alright, who goes first?" Ryuken panted. "Kisuke, why don't you? I want to be facing Isshin." his eyes drooped slightly with lust as he looped his arms around Isshin's neck and began to kiss him, not small, chaste kisses either, steaming hot, lust provoking, mind bending displays of pure passion.

Ryuken only broke contact with Isshin's lips when Urahara pressed two slickened fingers into his entrance and began to thrust them in and out slowly, gasping, until the two fingers pushed further into the second passage and womb and Ryuken threw his head back, a picture of beauty and grace as he screamed in pleasure.

Isshin hissed against his lips. "Does it... bother you, knowing the anatomy involved in what we're about to do, what we're about to commit to? You won't regret it later will you?"

"No, I waited for too long to rebuild and heal, and my family suffered far too much because of it." Ryuken groaned. "Ravage me, tear down the walls of the old life, and build another anew." Not only that, but knowing the anatomy involved in what they were doing just turned him on even more.

"fuck, when you talk like that, its more erotic than any dirty talk I've ever heard." Urahara hissed, looping arms around Ryuken's waist and positioning himself at his entrance.

"DO it damnit, I need this." Ryuken had denied himself intimacy for so long that returning to familiar arms, and familiar passions, meant he had absolutely /no/ ability to resist the fever. And the familiar was, to him, new again.

Urahara made his entry fast, deft, causing a brief flare of pain that was replaced with overwhelming pleasure. Urahara gently pulled Ryuken into his arms, so that the quincy was sitting in his lap, and Isshin knelt between Ryuken's legs, sucking his dick into his mouth tenderly and lavishing attention on the painfully hard and weeping organ.

Then Urahara began to thrust, and Ryuken started to arch up and down with him, and the normally uptight quincy completely lost it, screaming in pleasure, bucking and writhing. Urahara sucked on the skin of his shoulder in a vain attempt to muffle his curses and lewd mumbling in the other man's ear. It was like an animal took them over.

Ryuken screamed, coming twice, each time Isshin swallowing the entire load before Urahara finally filled him with his seed. And the frustrating part about this was not the pleasure he got from the act, but the fact that Ryuken found his lust not to have been sated. The burning of semen in his belly only made Ryuken want /more./

The three men fumbled a little more, not wanting to move but having to switch positions. This time Isshin looped his arms around Ryuken's body. And Ryuken sank willingly onto his cock, eager for the sensation.

When Urahara sucked his cock into his mouth Ryuken screamed in pleasure. His body demanded release, his soul demanded intimacy. It was as if every festering desire related to sex, Isshin, and Urahara had erupted within him.

Ryuken screamed as he came, moaning as Isshin came inside of him, and suddenly an idea came to him like an epiphany, causing him to inhale sharply. "ISSHIIIIIIIIIIIN!"

Awareness returned like a splash of cold water. Ryuken pulled away, then snuggled into Isshin's arms, burying his face in his chest. He pulled Urahara up against him from behind, rather roughly, but his brain was having a brain storm and his body still wanted sex to some degree. "I just had a thought." He panted. Ryuken realized all three of them were covered in sweat. He groaned, savoring the sensation of Isshin and Urahara's seed inside of him.

"About?" Urahara asked. Isshin peered at him.

Ryuken panted a bit more before saying. "How does the virus cause a person to /pick/ the person they spend their fever with? Is it /truely/ whoever's handy or is it someone that they have feelings for? Does it /play/ on emotions already there?"

"What do you mean?" Urahara asked.

"Ichigo made his choice /before/ he went into the fever state, but everyone else was pushed together with their loved ones. I know my instincts. I /know/ that if neither of you were in the room when I woke up, I wouldn't /grab/ whoever was handy. I'd go looking for you."

"awww, how touching."

"No I mean it, I'm fairly certain, it plays off of one's subconscious desires."

"Well there's one way to test that." Urahara grinned. "But for now sleep, your mortal body can't take the stresses a gigai can."

"Yeah I know. I must have slept most of the day." Ryuken muttered, closing his eyes and snuggling down between Isshin and Urahara.

He awoke two hours later to find a cold bed. "Isshin? Kisuke?" He stood, wrapping himself up in a robe and trying to find their spirit ribbons. Then he took off down the hallway, bumping into Hanataro on the way.

Hanataro would have been a prime target, weak, attractive, effeminate, with lots of bad luck and an extremely cute appearance. But instead, the young medic got a rough shove out of the way. Ryuken shoved past Tessai where he was discussing some kind of barrier Kido with two of the vizards, (he thought their names were Rose and Kensei and really to him they both looked quite hot) preparing tea, and found his way to the hatch and into the hidden training area.

Kensei was quite a catch, but he wasn't quite what Ryuken wanted at the moment. "Must be the hair." He heard the grey haired man say, I thought he'd go for this but apparently he doesn't like macho men.

"Patently I'm insulted." Rose whined. "He's not even giving me more than a glance."

At the moment, Ryuken had a one track mind, following the spirit ribbons to the tiny shack that Ichigo, Byakuya, Renji and Uryu had used for their own tryst, to find his lovers bathing naked in the water. "Well well well, he resisted temptation." Urahara teased.

"Shut up." Ryuken muttered, stripping and sliding into the bath between Urahara and Isshin, reaching out to give each a kiss. "I want more, but I want to get clean first."

"We decided to test your hunch." Urahara replied. "By parading temptation up and down the halls of Urahara Shoten." He pointed to where Izuru and Shuhei had gone off to the regular baths.

"I see, and was I right?"

"I had at least four more eligible males at varying places in the Shoten, not just those in the main hall and front room, you ignored them all."

"Told you." Ryuken straddled Urahara's lap. "Now wash my hair." Ryuken always loved bathing in the hot springs with Urahara and Isshin, but he /loved/ having his hair washed. The stimulation to his scalp was absolutely erotic.

"I told you before, I want to do this right." Shuhei told Izuru gently in the hospital room. "This isn't just any old honeymoon we're having, we're making life, and after what Gin did to you I want this to be /romantic/ not just steamy."

Izuru was weak from the internal damage done by the changing of his organs, but he had awoken, he'd always had a problem staying asleep with sedatives. So now he was curled up in Shuhei's arms, making plans.

"Well, we still have one thing we have to do, romantic or not." Izuru sighed. "I found out, Hitsugaya-taichou... Gin did the same thing to him that he did to me. And neither of us have told Momo. Its going to be very hard, talking about it both to him and to her. Especially in the shape I'm in. But if I can control myself for that lesson, I can do it for this. I just... I want you to hold me the entire time. I..."

"You're scared... I'll protect you." Shuhei said quietly. "And help you keep it in your pants, come on."

So about an hour later, at the appointed time, Shinji, Hitsugaya and Unohana entered the hospital room, Momo behind them. "Izuru! You're awake! It must hurt so bad but stick with it okay? You'd make a great dad!" She reached out to hug Izuru, /carefully/. "Look at my Shirou-chan! He isn't so little anymore is he?" Momo asked proudly.

"Momo, Izuru and I had something we wanted to talk to you about." Hitsugaya said quietly. "And I... I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it sooner. I didn't want you to worry."

Momo blinked, when Hitsugaya used that tone, she knew it was seriously important to her brother and that whatever it was had bothered him.

Hitsugaya remained standing, carefully undoing enough of his uniform that Momo could see the scars. "T... Toushiro?" She didn't understand at first.

"Gin did this to me..." Hitsugaya said this with tears in his eyes, his voice choked. He leaned against Shinji for support, both emotionally and physically. "He hurt me... Momo, in ways I didn't want you to know about." He looked up at Unohana.

Unohana spoke up. "Gin repeatedly assaulted your brother, Hinamori." she didn't even use suffixes. Unohana was getting tired, both as a physician and as a person. She bowed her head for even though Hitsugaya had given her permission to explain the situation if words failed him, it was hard. "Sexually. He only had the courage to come forwards to anyone years later."

"And when he was done with your brother Momo." Izuru gulped, feeling Shuhei's grip on his waist tighten. It both hurt and comforted him, the pain was physical, the comfort emotional. "He moved on to me. And it didn't stop until he turned traitor and left he Seireitei. The man had unhealthy sexual appetites and got off on causing pain to other people."

Momo's face, healthy since her recovery, turned /pale./ Her eyes turned huge, at what both her brother, and Izuru had endured. Even after Hitsugaya covered himself back up she saw those scars in her mind. "Shirou..." She whimpered, throwing her arms around her brother and crying. "I was so happy for you Shirou, growing up and becoming a father. I'm so sorry, I... you must be so frightened all this happening after he... damnit... I'll /GET/ him for this... my own brother... now I HATE him even more!"

Momo snuggled against Hitsugaya, crying uncontrollably. But unlike her previously shattered mental state, Momo's tears this time were of a far saner sort. Hitsugaya blushed, as he realized that in his new body he was actually taller than his older sister. Then suddenly she turned from him and then ran over to hug Izuru. "Izuru, are you okay? Are you /truely/ okay with what's going on? You too..." She hiccuped. "Hitsugaya-taichou?"

"Thats the first time you... called me that."

"Well I can't call you Little Shirou now that you aren't little." Momo pointed out, hiccuping slightly. "Are you boys okay? The both of you."

"You can call me Shirou, just not "Little shirou" or "Shirou-chan."" Hitsugaya replied. "I... I wish I was better. In some ways I feel violated all over again... but... I can handle it. As long as I have Shinji to help me when I feel depressed."

"Me too." Izuru said quietly. "Since Shuhei and I got together, life has been... beautiful..." Izuru said, hugging Momo close. "I just... when I found out Gin had done it to Hitsugaya-taichou as well, I couldn't keep closeted about it anymore. Not when I found out he'd hurt someone else."

"I understand." Momo said quietly, still crying. "I'll help take care of you both, if you need a hand with the kids, just call." She said quietly. "I have to think about this Shirou, Izuru, can I have some time to myself? I was up all last night with paperwork."

"Sure."

Night time in the Seireitei, Ichigo was snuggled against Byakuya when a shadow appeared outside their window. It was an arrancar, with purple wavy hair, and a mask consisting of glasses and the Astrological sign for Mercury pinned in it. He was in his ressurecion form, with wings of bone coming out of his ankles, wrists, back and head. He carried a spear with two snakes made of bone twining around it and two spindly wings on the end.

"Morpheus, bringer of dreams, bring not dreams but Nightmares." Warren whispered outside the door. He'd been given a list of targets, as well as how to find them by their spiritual pressures.

A long, delicate tendril of black energy snaked through the window, in fact, it did take the form of a snake. The snake slithered towards the bed, wrapping itself around Ichigo's neck before slithering to his forehead and disappearing between his eyes.

Warren didn't stick around to see the results of his handiwork, instead making his way to the fourth division where Izuru was asleep with Shuhei. However, on his way he passed Unohana's office and found the medic asleep on a couch in it.

"She's sleeping on a Shrink's couch, well, okay, lets give her some dreams for a shrink to think about." Warren released another small black snake before continuing to Izuru's room and releasing another. "Nobody in the Seireitei is going to get any sleep tonight." He floated off, like some skeletal Hermes, until he found Hitsugaya and Shinji, asleep in his quarters in the tenth. "Heh, from Gin, with love." Warren snickered wickedly as he sent the snake into their room.

His last stop was the first, this one was pushing it. "Negacion Veil..." Warren managed to sneak over to Commander Yamamoto's quarters, he kept hidden beneath the windowsill, a light, delicate Negacion barrier appeared over his head and neck. The delicate barrier, almost a gossamer sheer of energy, suppressed his spiritual pressure so that it was almost completely invisible.

The snake wound its way up over the sill, into the room. Warren didn't even wait for it to connect. He fled. The commander was not someone he wanted to fight, or catch in a bad mood after casting a psionic nightmare spell on him.

The /eruption/ of Spiritual Pressure he felt back at the Commander's quarters, the /rush/ of flames, consuming the building and the angry /roar/ accelerated his flight into full out /sonido./ The Commander was /angry/. The eruption of Rage he felt far below him was so frightening, Warren didn't stop running until he was in the Rukongai, then fleeing through the garganta that had been opened for him there.

And his fear, his terror, didn't subside until he staggered back into Aizen's empty throne room.


	18. Sleep Paralysis

Believe it or not, this chapter was more or less inspired by a bleach AMV to the Marilyn Manson cover of "this is Halloween" focusing on the hollows and arrancar, and the image it showed from the flash back episode of Izuru screaming as well as varying images from the early arrancar arc. However, I've also had several experiences of sleep paralysis and ever since I was a child, I've had vivid dreams, even nightmares. Yet I discovered more than once that if i realized what was happening, I could control my own nightmares in such a way that I'd wake up. And many, many of my vivid dreams I've been able to sieze control of. So I'm plunging the bleach characters into a nightmare.

* * *

Hitsugaya moaned in his sleep, he'd been having a good dream, something about baby shopping with Shinji. And then it all changed, in fact it was very abrupt. He was standing on an island, a rather smallish one, with Gin. Hitsugaya screamed, releasing his zanpakuto and charging Gin.

Only to find himself flat on his back, Gin slicing off his uniform. Hitsugaya screamed and thrashed, struggling to get Gin off him. And he found himself living out his assault all over again. Hitsugaya was screaming and yelling, before he kicked out, /hard/, jamming his head against something heavy and wooden. Except that when Hitsugaya looked there was nothing there.

The sunny tropical island had become a frozen wasteland. Suddenly Gin raised his hand. "Bakudo 61, Rikurikojo!" Hitsugaya found himself struggling as Gin started talking to him. "Shirou, Shirou wake up! WAKE UP!" Hitsugaya screamed, trying to shove Gin away. "GET AWAY GIN! DONT TOUCH ME YOU FREAK!"

Then suddenly, he was awake, on the floor of his quarters. The entire room had been frozen in ice, and his shikai lay about four feet away. "Toushiro! TOUSHIRO!" Shinji was yelling. He had a black eye, his right hand was covered in ice, and he had a minor stab wound to his right shoulder. And the room, it was covered in ice, everything frozen. Even knowing that the ice would crumble and melt didn't comfort him.

"Sh... Shinji?" Hitsugaya was rather dazed, but aside from the Bakudo and a lump growing on his head, rather unhurt. "oh my god Shinji, what did I do?"

"Uhhh, that should be rather obvious. You had a nightmare and you were blasting everything in sight with ice." Shinji told him. "Hold very, very still Toushiro."

"Why?" Hitsugaya was about to freak out if he hadn't already. "I'm SO SO sorry. It was... I dreamed Gin was trying to... again... and I was trying to fight him off."

Shinji was focused on one more thing. "Toushiro hold very very still, I saw a snake wrapped around your neck and face during the incident. Thats how this started I was trying to get it off you. It was made of energy. Its some kind of curse."

Hitsugaya felt something impinging upon his spiritual pressure, and an instant later he felt his vision begin to swim, he saw the outline of a snake looming over him, a black snake, made of energy with red eyes, and he started falling into unconsciousness.

An instant later he was awake again, and Shinji was struggling with the snake. Shinji broke the bakudo, as four Omnikitsudo officers and Hachigen entered their quarters. "What happened?"

"Someone broke in, and put a curse on Hitsugaya-taichou." Shinji held up the snake. "This thing... its seething with hollow energy, I think it was made by an arrancar."

"Twenty six minutes ago, the seireitei's security was breached by a flying arrancar who set a similar curse on the Commander General." The Omnikitsudo in the lead replied. "He set similar curses on varying officers involved in containing and studying the Fever virus or who had been infected with it. Hachigen has been ordered to hunt down and contain all the curse producing snakes that were loosed in the Seireitei and to bring them to twelfth division RSDI for analysis."

Hachigen smiled. "Urahara is rather busy, so he sent me and Tessai to do the job." He said pleasantly. "Hitsugaya-taichou, are you alright?" He held out a container made from some kind of barrier for Shinji to put the snake in.

"I've been better. My head feels like I just drank a bottle of Genshu." Undiluted sake. "And I'm... mentally I'm quite disturbed by what happened, both the damage I did and the dream I had."

Shinji delicately dropped the animal in, closing the lid over his hand and then pulling it out slowly to keep it from escaping. Shinji then carefully broke his own Bakudo. "C'mon, I'll carry you to the fourth." He scooped Hitsugaya up in his arms bridal style and Hitsugaya yawned, wrapping his arms around Shinji's neck, holding on tightly.

"that may be a problem, Unohana was one of those attacked." The Omnikitsudo officer replied. "We will escort you to the fourth division hospital however."

The bedroom, the hallway, most of the barracks his quarters were located in were covered in ice. And when Hitsugaya passed through the tenth's meeting hall in Shinji's arms, he had to cover his eyes, most of the tenth had been covered in a layer of thick ice, and while it was now crumbling, it was clear...

Hitsugaya, in the throws of his hypnosis, had damaged his own division's barracks. And now, when he looked towards the first, he was /really/ scared.

The entire first division barracks was in flames with its members fleeing the location.

* * *

Ichigo was out like a light, he didn't normally have dreams unless they were erotic dreams or nightmares, or memories of his mother, but in this dream he was flat on his back on an enormous western style bed, trussed up for that experimenting in gentler forms of bondage that he and Byakuya had discussed before they'd fallen asleep that night, and he could hear a shatter, something breaking, the sound was familiar somehow. But there were, so many deliciously sensual smells and textures beneath his body and around him that he hardly cared.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Even in his dreams Byakuya was hot, but there was something odd to the note in his voice. "Love are you alright?"

"fine." His tone of voice, short and flat, again so familiar, and not Byakuya.

Ichigo rolled over, giving his koi better access. "Just hurry up, whatever you were using to bind me is /itching./"

The hands were different, the voice something was off, something was just off as his koi bent over his prone body to enter him. He groaned, arching into the initial thrust. "Wait wait wait, something's wrong here." He turned around and screamed.

It wasn't Byakuya, it was Aizen, "GET AWAY!" He yelled, shoving at the man on top of him. "BYAKUYAAAAAAAAAAA ITS AIZEN HELLLLPPPP!" Ichigo began to struggle, using his reiatsu to break himself out of the bindings and shoving the other away.

Aizen frowned, and his face was replaced by Byakuya's again. "Its me Ichigo, we talked about this remember? Ichigo? Ichigo?"

"You're not him! YOU ARENT MY BYAKUYA!" Ichigo screamed, lunging for his sword. "BANKAAAAIIIII!" Things were breaking around him.

"Bakudo 61, Rikurikojo!" Aizen/Byakuya cast the bakudo.

* * *

Byakuya groaned, he'd been almost asleep himself when Ichigo began to fuss in his sleep, even talking. He'd tried to wake Ichigo up, only for him to start /screaming/ the instant he was touched. Screaming something about Aizen, and that was when Byakuya noticed the black snake, made of hollow energy, that had wrapped itself around his neck and shoved its head inside his forehead.

Then Ichigo's eyes had opened, and Byakuya had tried to kiss him to tell his koi it was alright, thinking Ichigo was awake and out of the dream. Only he didn't even recognize that simple touch. And Byakuya realized Ichigo wasn't just sleep walking, he was preparing to sleep /fight/. When Ichigo went Bankai in his sleep, that was when Byakuya took it seriously.

He had to fight easily the strongest shinigami currently alive, without harming him or his children, while he was /sleeping/ and not even able to understand that it was his koibito he was fighting, it wasn't Aizen.

He had to focus on defenses and bakudo. "Bakudo 61, Rikurikojo!" The instant the attacks started, Grimmjow and Ulquiorra appeared from down the hall. "Grimmjow! Ulquiorra!"

"What's happening?"

"Look at the snake around his neck." Byakuya pointed. "He's been hypnotized, yet I didn't sense an intrusion in our quarters."

"The window is open." Pointed out Grimmjow. "Probably did it from there see the tree a few feet away?"

"We have to sedate him and get that off." Byakuya indicated the snake.

"heh, no problem." Grimmjow straightened up, then fell into a fighting crouch.

"No." Ulquiorra told him. "you're visibly showing and halfway through, I, however, have no diminishing in speed and I have the precision that I can do it without bringing down the roof on us."

Ulquiorra then moved in beside Byakuya. "Flash on three. I pin him, you remove the snake."

Ichigo was thrashing in the bindings, sending off ribbons of reiatsu, screaming something about Aizen and repeated yells of "DONT TOUCH ME!"

Byakuya nodded. "One..."

"...two..."

"... THREE!"

In unison, Byakuya flash stepped, and Ulquiorra sonido'd, pinning Ichigo to the ground. Ichigo screamed, the bakudo 61 starting to break. Then in an instant, as he wrestled with the snake, Byakuya felt Ichigo's blade go right through his arm. In one side, out the other, not only breaking the bone but the muscles as well. "ICHIGO!" Byakuya roared, his heart was breaking as he fought to remove the snake.

Ichigo finally broke the bakudo, and the next stab was aimed again for Byakuya's chest...

...only to be interrupted by a prehensile tail grabbing Ichigo's sword arm and restraining him.

Still the snake would not come free from Ichigo's reiatsu. And then far distant Byakuya heard an explosion from the direction of first. And his blood ran cold. A bomb at first division? No, the reiatsu roaring far distant was the commander general's! Yamamoto had been caught in this? That could be a problem, a problem for which they needed Ichigo!

All of a sudden something appeared on Ichigo's face that made Byakuya's blood turn to ice. Fragments of mask were forming on his face. Byakuya thought he was going to die for certain. Or be seriously hurt. By his own lover's hollow.

Then the garbled voice husked weakly. "I'm keeping him in check... get it off me! I can't hold him forever!" Ogichi was sedating Ichigo! "I'm trying to break the curse, so is Old Man Zangetsu... you have maybe three minutes before our strength runs out!"

Byakuya raised a hand to Ichigo's forehead, sending a gentle /pulse/ of reiatsu through the snake and into him, standard procedure for breaking illusions and curses.

The snake /writhed/ the tail coming undone and hissing menacingly. Byakuya sent repeated shocks through the snake, Ichigo's body writhing beneath him with each one. The snake struggled the entire way.

In his head, Ichigo felt someone's arms restraining him. At the same time, Zangetsu kept moving between him and Aizen, but the things that the ex captain were doing to him just made Ichigo feel... violated... and being restrained was making the experience /worse./

"Ichigo..."

Zangetsu was whispering to him. "You're being hypnotized Ichigo."

"yeah by /aizen/."

"its not Aizen, think logically Ichigo, how could you have gone from your bedroom to his in hueco mundo so fast?"

"..."

"you're being hypnotized, there was an intruder in the Seireitei."

He could hear Ulquiorra's voice. "C'mon Kurosaki, I know you're thickheaded but this is ridiculous." The sensation on his sword hand was a familiar one, Ulquiorra's tail? "Keep at it Byakuya..."

It was as if Ichigo had been plunged into icewater, his mind snapped to consciousness and he inhaled deeply, gasping for air.

He was pinned beneath Ulquiorra and Byakuya, mask fragments falling off of his face, he had some minor bruises but what scared him was his bankai in his hand, and a matching stabwound to Byakuya's right arm. In Byakuya's free hand, a small black snake made of hollow energy writhing in his hand, hissing and trying to bite him. "BYAKUYA!" he cried, terrified both of his dream, and of himself flinging his bankai sword across the floor and out of the way.

Ulquiorra rolled away, breathing a sigh of relief. Byakuya groaned in relief, leaning down to kiss him on the lips. Ichigo blushed hugely. "Thank god... Ichigo..."

"B... Byakuya..." Ichigo started to cry, feeling what he recognized as a mood swing coming on. Then something else...

It hit Ichigo like a hurricane. He felt pain in his own arm, and it wasn't from any wounds. He could feel a barrage of emotions on his mind, thoughts too, he could hear Grimmjow's voice. **Hope he's alright, silly berry getting hit with something like that.**

And Ulquiorra. **I don't know any arrancar that can use a technique like that, Aizen must have gotten someone new.**

And Byakuya. **got to make sure the babies are alright, he had a hardon this whole time, I wonder what he was dreaming about. then. Stop it, he's /hurt./**

"GOD STOP TALKING! ALL OF YOU!" Ichigo snapped, sobbing. "You're hurting my head."

"I didn't say anything." Byakuya blinked, **I have the snake, Is he hearing things because of the curse?**

"Yes you /are/! All three of you are TALKING!" Ichigo cried, clinging to Byakuya as tears rolled down his cheeks. "Byakuya, your arm... I... I didn't do that to you did I? The other me, he didn't try to take over just now...?" He was terrified.

**All else fails, lie. He's fragile right now.** "no, it was the attacker. He did it. He put this snake on you, thats what made you go crazy. Not the hollow."

"LIER!" Ichigo cried. "I heard you decide to lie! You said it aloud! I DID THIS TO YOU! I HURT THE MAN I LOVED!"

Byakuya frowned. **Telepathy? Is that what he's hearing? My thoughts?** then he remembered, the repeated shocks of reiatsu to the head. **oh no.** He realized that his own reiatsu, coupled with the curse must have done it. This was all his fault.

"B... Byakuya don't say that... I know you'd never purposefully try to hurt me..." Ichigo whimpered, clinging to his koibito. "Just take me to the fourth division, please."

"Alright..."

A group of Omnikitsudo soldiers appeared. "Kuchiki taichou, there's been an attack, those involved with the Fever virus, as well as the Commander, have been hit with some kind of hypnosis attack that causes them to attack in their sleep. The Kido corps is containing the damage at 1st."

Hachigen entered behind them. "I've come for the snake..." he indicates the one still writhing in Byakuya's hand. "Kurosaki-kun are you all..."

Ichigo howled in pain, letting go of Byakuya and clutching at his head, only to fall to the ground.

"Something's wrong with him, I think the curse, combined with the curse breaker I used gave him some kind of psychic ability." Byakuya carefully dropped the cursed snake into the outstretched container. "Thank you Hachigen, you are as efficient as always."

Hachigen knelt by Ichigo's side, scanning him. "How many repetitions of the curse breaker did you use? This particular snake feels much stronger than the other one."

"Multiple. It had formed no fewer than ten circles of its body around Ichigo's neck, and it only released one coil at a time when the curse breaking method was applied. I was pushing as hard as I dared without damaging the babies."

"there may already /be/ damage Byakuya, just from the curse and the struggle and the panic. Just because he isn't bleeding, doesn't mean they haven't been hurt especially when Psionics come into play. Orihime is enroute to fourth from the thirteenth division, between the two of us we should be able to put him right but we have to do it fast, all this stress isn't good for the little ones."

Ichigo felt his blood run cold. "H... Hachi... I..." He staggered to his feet. "oh my god i'm gonna be sick." He ran for the bathroom, the ninjas escorting Hachigen parting to let him through. Ichigo threw up, violently. "Wait outside please." Hachigen told the Omnikitsudo members. "If he is indeed hearing the thoughts of other people, your critical eye is making them worse."

"I'm just very lucky his inner hollow kicked in and held him still long enough for me to get it off him."

"Inner hollows do not want harm to come to their owners Byakuya, if I were in the same shoes, mine would have helped you too, because you were not the source of the attack, but the source of help, his hollow cooperated. It was responding to its owner's distress."

The Omnikitsudo took up positions outside the house, and Hachi waited for Ichigo to come back, his knees were shaking. "So I'm... hearing people's thoughts?" Ichigo blinked. Ulquiorra had left, flying for fourth division as fast as his wings could carry him.

"Yes, it was the curse and the curse breaker together, though I'm not sure how. It could have to do with your reiatsu being abnormally high and volitile, more so than any shinigami or vizard I've ever seen. At full power, your spirit energy is higher than even a captain's."

"What were you dreamin about berry?" Grimmjow asked.

"Aizen, he'd hypnotized me into thinking that he was Byakuya, and was... he had me tied up and he was..." Ichigo started to cry again. "Trying to have his way..." gulp. "... with me... thats why I fought so fucking hard."

Byakuya had him in his arms in an instant, holding on tightly to /his/ Ichigo. "I'm here now. But we have to get you to the fourth."

Ichigo blushed. "If I dispel my bankai I'll be naked."

Byakuya nodded. "All of you wait outside."

About five minutes later, Ichigo was dressed, and while he was able to walk, he allowed Byakuya, who was quite worried about him by this point to carry him. Byakuya couldn't help noticing either, that every time they passed a group or a crowd, hurrying to try and find the intruder, as well as to help contain the damage from the commander's outburst.

* * *

Izuru was in the hospital, curled up against Shuhei, dreaming which was something normal for him. And then he was tied up, back in bed in the third, reliving every violation that Gin had ever done to him, struggling to escape as Gin had used his obi and some bakudo to tie him up. He flared his spiritual pressure, shook free, and dove for his zanpakuto.

"Ikure, shinso..." Gin struck back, only...

Hyporankan hit Izuru instead, pinning him to the wall. "IZURU! WAKE UP! ITS ME IZURU!"

Something was pulling on his neck, pulling something free. Then Izuru felt almost as if he'd been drenched in icewater. He gasped, took in a deep, hard breath, and then as his vision cleared, Shuhei started pulling the rods from the bakudo down. "Izuru, are you alright?" He had something in his hands, wriggling and hissing. "This thing... there's some kind of attack going on..."

Izuru couldn't see well, but he felt some kind of explosion of fire and reiatsu. "My body... shiiiiittt... I'm still being modified. That must be why I was so easy to subdue... was that the commander's reiatsu?"

"yeah, not sure whats going on." Shuhei kissed his koi, prying the last rod free and scooping him up.

Suddenly, reiatsu from the direction of Unohana's office. Several powerful kido blasted the area, blowing the roof off of Unohana's quarters. "Where on earth did she learn Hado 88?"

"dunno..."

Hachigen appeared. "I came to collect that snake gentlemen, others are on their way to come to Unohana taichou's aid."

* * *

Unohana was mentally stuck in her own private hell. The espada had laid waste to her hospital, /her/ hospital, her patients, and her friends, and those who depended on her slaughtered. She was cornered by all ten of them, and they were going to kill her. Not only that, but Grimmjow had taken her zanpakuto, it was beyond her reach, strapped to his back.

She was firing wildly, the darkness of the night time making it hard to see as the Espada, at least as she had known them during the conflict in Karakura, attacked mercilessly and then flitted back into the darkness from whence they came and Unohana struggled to get Minazuki free from Grimmjow but she remained out of her owner's reach.

Suddenly a prehensile tail darted out of the darkness, tapping her between the eyes. Two big furry hands reached out of the darkness and grabbed her. "Retsu!" It was Komamura. "Retsu speak to me."

Unohana looked from Komamura's corpse on the ground, bloody and mangled, to the hands that were holding her. "its an illusion Retsu, you're dreaming."

"S... Saijin..."

"Unohana-taichou, its me... ulquiorra." The tail pressed to her forehead could suddenly be traced to an owner, there were two Ulquiorras, the one in the dream plainly visible, the other in shadow, though his form was slowly becoming clearer. "This will only hurt a little bit. Please I've almost broken the illusion. Trust the hands on your shoulders, not the corpse you see on the ground."

"Help me!" Unohana cried in the dream. "Help me please I'm stuck!"

The tail gently pushed a shock of reiatsu through her, before trailing down to Unohana's neck and slowly unwinding something.

Unohana screamed, comparing the inhaling of breath and sensation of ice water down her neck and face to that of a near drowning. Ulquiorra was in his segunda form, a long, hissing, wriggling black snake made of energy clasped in his prehensile tail. "Its some kind of autonomous curse being. Some hollow and arrancar can make these tiny creatures, parts of their own body, that serve different purposes in attacking. This one appearantly hypnotizes its target into some kind of nightmare."

"in which the target attacks his surroundings, believing himself to be under attack." Unohana looked towards the burning first, where a fresh jet of flames met Kido corps members hurrying to barrier the first and twelfth and fourth division members evacuating the staff. "Then the Commander must have been the target of one, and released Ryuujin Jakka."

Unohana shivered. "I know I was just rescued, but I must go to the front lines, I will be needed." She gathered her things, and thanked the Kami that she had fallen asleep in her uniform.

**Minazuki?** The spirit hummed. **You wouldn't let me use you to attack the fourth is that it?** there was a soft croon of confirmation. **Thank you. Thank you very much I'm so glad. **

The two of them took off from fourth. An instant later Hachigen entered. "I came for the snake." He indicated the creature held in Ulquiorra's tail. "I'll drop this off at 12th and then meet you at the first. Ulquiorra-kun, be careful for the babies, if it looks like you will be hurt enough to miscarry, fall back to the barrier."

"Understood." Ulquiorra disappeared, flying towards the first. There was a jet of flame again from the clifftop, and Ulquiorra beat it back with a controlled Cero Oscuras. "He's very strong, even my cero Oscuras couldn't completely quelch the flames."

Unohana appeared beside him, riding on Minazuki's back. "Ulquiorra, a controlled gran rey should part the flames and the barrier long enough for help to get in. Please make an opening for us, aim for the fire, not the person."

"Understood." Ulquiorra repeated and took up a hovering position and watched as from one end Unohana approached the flames, from the other Ukitake, Komamura, Shuhei, and others from the Omnikitsudo approached the first.

The barrier was strong, but he closed his eyes, focusing his gran rey cero into his mouth, something he typically only used for when he had to make the shot count. "Get ready!" The roar drowned out any other instruction he may have given as he /blasted/ the gran rey at both the barrier and the flames.

It broke, parting just long enough for Unohana to fly in from above with Ukitake, Komamura and Shuhei flash stepping in, however, of the dozen or so Omnikitsudo fighters that had gathered, only four of them made it in.

"Sorry, I can't sustain it as long /and/ control the damage it does." Ulquiorra coughed. "And the smoke..." He landed, falling on his knees dry coughing. One of the ninjas pressed a spare ninja mask to Ulquiorra's face. "Thank you." He backed away from the barrier, the coughing subsided but his throat felt raw.

The rescue party pelted through the flames, releasing their zanpakuto one by one as they went. Komamura rushed in... and beheld the commander general in the grips of his personal nightmare.

* * *

Yamamoto was in his inner world, which was being /invaded/ by Zephly, he was a young man again, he hadn't had his bankai and he was /outraged/ that an arrancar had somehow gotten into his mind. He was on the ground, being /violated/ again. But this time he did something about it. "Turn everything to ash, Ryuujin Jakka."

Yamamoto began burning everything he could reach, he kept trying to fight off Zephly, yet no matter how many jets of flame he aimed at the enemy, Zephly always somehow seemed out of his reach. This was a young Yamamoto, a Yama who thought he was invincible. And his incredible spiritual pressure was wreaking havoc in an effort to kill an arrancar that was not there.

* * *

Komamura darted in with Unohana on one side, "We'll restrain him, get the cursed snake off his neck! Hurry!" The commander's eyes were vacant, his face as close to furious as Ukitake ever saw him get. Komamura and Unohana came at him from behind, Komamura's furry hands grabbing him. "COMMANDER!" Unohana cried. "Please hear my voice, you're being tricked!"

"COMMANDER!" Unohana cried, he couldn't hear the rest, the flames were too powerful, too loud.

Two enormous furry hands reached out from the fire, grabbing his shoulders. Komamura? But who was that?

Komamura had grabbed him, and was trying to pull him away from Zephly. To the commander, who's limbs and body felt young, and strong again, who's mind had more or less, during the dream, reverted to that of the flippant, impatient twenty something he'd appeared to be when he was in his youth, the hands on his shoulder seemed familiar.

All of a sudden. "BAKUDO 62, HYPORANKAN!" A bakudo snaked out of the darkness. RESCUE! But why? Why was he being attacked?

It was a trick! The arrancar was trying to make him think his own people were attacking him!Still, he couldn't get free.

"Bakudo 61, rikurikojo!" Bound twice!

"Commander you are being tricked, open your eyes!"

"Get that thing off him, pry it off if you have to!"

"Retsu, the curse breaker, quickly!"

Hands were grabbing him, keeping him restrained, someone was applying some kind of healing reiatsu to his neck and forehead, repeated, gentle shocks of energy, the standard technique for breaking hypnosis based techniques. Hypnosis? He could hear a snake hissing, snarling, snapping in an effort to keep its prey.

The commander's attacks with flame slowed, and zephly disappeared from the illusion.

To his credit, the old man didn't scream. A soundless gasp escaped his lips as he drew in one powerful breath, it felt as if ice water was poured over his head. As if he'd been held under water and then suddenly been allowed to come up for air.

The commander saw the flames, saw his own quarters and the first burning. He was held in Komamura's strongest restraining hold and two bakudo. Which were quickly snapped. "Commander, we have to go!" Komamura was lifting him up off the ground, Ukitake running beside him.

Yamamoto realized he was burned in places, by his own power. He'd been injured by his own fire gone out of control, but that was only the start of the sort of miserable realization that had made Ichigo physically ill. He'd been hypnotized into attacking his own.

And so he didn't resist as he was carried back to fourth division on a stretcher, and unfortunately, as the medics carried him away, Yamamoto Shigekune Genryuusai had a very good view of his own division burning from fires that /he/ himself had set. And the fact that he'd been hypnotized when he did it, in his heart didn't matter...

He felt sick, and the medics would have seen tears falling from his eyes, the only outward sign of the Commander's distress.


	19. Chapter 19

Notes: Digimon battle is on a mutant digimon kick. ;.; they did mutant Dorumon, now they're doing mutant Palmon, who turns into woodmon- cherrymon → puppetmon. Awesome but time consuming as you have to get it to lvl 65 for you to keep it. God I barely got my raijinmon to level 60.

Anyway, I have more fuel for this fic now so...

* * *

Ichigo couldn't sleep the rest of the night, he could hear, drifting snippets of thought and emotion from the others who had been attacked by the curse. Several of the Kuchiki elders had come by to make sure he was alright, (and the children as well no doubt) and their own thoughts ranging from pitying to well meaning concern was only making it hurt worse.

Then Byakuya had stopped all visitors, and curled up in bed with Ichigo, healed by Orihime's attentions. Orihime fixed all the wounds of those who had been injured as a result, though all injuries were minor. There were no miscarriages, however, Unohana had spent over 2 hours scanning him with varying instruments that fortunately, were adapted to be safe for the babies, with Kurotsuchi watching their every move.

He lay back in the hospital bed, as the dawn came, and looked up at the ceiling, unsure of how to stop the barrage of unwanted, alien thoughts and emotions assaulting his new senses.

And then there was the dream. Grimmjow Ichigo hadn't minded too much, because he was someone Ichigo was attracted to, though any kind of relationship with him was definitely a bad idea, and because he'd understood that Grimmjow's capacity to make choices was diminished.

But Aizen? Even though it had been a dream, to Ichigo it had been very very real. And the sense of violation he felt was... profound. Aizen, he'd discovered, had been behind a lot of the suffering he'd experienced in his life, behind everything including his extraordinary gains of strength. And Ichigo did have some suppressed fear of the man because of that.

But the dream had made that fear very, very real.

He'd been crying on and off most of the night, tuned into the emotional suffering of everyone else who had been hit, not just his own cares but everyone else's.

Byakuya was asleep next to him in the hospital bed. Ichigo curled up against him, and he started crying again.

* * *

"There's no way to reverse it." Kurotsuchi sighed. "He's a telepath for life. It can be controlled with training, but that boy is a little short on mental capacity." Kurotsuchi growled.

"No way to reverse it at all?"

"no, and its not entirely the fault of this once incident. He inherited the basic genes for Psionics from his mother, they remained dormant but this was building for awhile before it actually happened. This was just the trigger." Kurotsuchi replied. "Probably within a few months. By the time he gave birth he would have had it emerge."

"So our curse breaking method is not a health hazard."

"no, but it is a trigger event, combined with the snakes. Our enemy had a list of targets ahead of time, each of these snakes is custom made, indeed, the one intended for Ichigo even has a mask on it. The higher the reiatsu of the target, the longer the snake. See the one intended for Yamamoto was just as long as Ichigo's, with a small plume of flame on the tail." Kurotsuchi had isolated each snake. "And the one intended for Hitsugaya is smaller, with a crystalline rattle on the tail reminiscent of ice."

"So a certain amount of the attack was planned." Unohana shivered, the one that had been used on her had a tiny shimmer of reiatsu on its tail. The idea that she'd been stalked, or that Aizen had somehow given her attacker the information necessary to make that nightmare, "Thats not good."

"unohana taichou, you should get some sleep yourself. I have to tell you I've gone down the all night working road and no matter what drug I use I've found that there's no substitute for the standard eight hours a night." Kurotsuchi told her. "I promise not to do anything to your patients while you sleep. You need to rest."

"i'm almost afraid to go back to sleep but thank you." Unohana headed for the nearest empty office, since hers had been destroyed.

She curled up on the couch, attempting to get some sleep.

* * *

A few hours later...

Ichigo had given up on sleep and gone to the shower off the part of the hospital he'd been moved to. And he'd been in their for about half an hour, trying to drown out the sound of the thoughts in his mind with the water, and maybe wash off some of the /sense/ of violation he got from the dream. His subconscious mind was having trouble throwing off the dream, he knew it wasn't real, but he /felt/ as if Aizen had actually been there attacking him.

He'd felt Byakuya coming, and Unohana had been there briefly but very tired. They'd been talking, but Ichigo couldn't hear everything, just disjointed thoughts, enough to know they were talking about him.

Byakuya entered the bathroom. "Ichigo..." He said quietly. "I'm coming in..." He stripped down, entering the shower. Ichigo turned, throwing his arms around Byakuya's neck, clinging to him, snuggling his face into the other's chest. "Unohana just gave me the results of the scans, the... the telepathy... its permanent."

"Are they sure?" Ichigo began to shake, the thought of living like this? With the /constant/ intrusion. It scared him, and it /hurt/ even more.

"There's a genetic component, inherited from your mother appearantly, and there's a chance the children will have it as well, the attack triggered the genetics so yeah, you're stuck." Byakuya said quietly, returning the embrace, hands sliding down to Ichigo's hips. He closed his eyes, resting his head against Ichigo's forehead, their lips just a few inches apart. "You've been in here awhile, the dream, where Aizen was..."

"It was pretty graphic yeah." Ichigo shivered. "It will fade eventually but I'm... I'm scared Byakuya! And the telepathy, its /painful/." His /mother/ had this? Masaki had been a telepath? That would explain a lot of things he'd experienced from his mother, how she always seemed to know certain things about him.

"There is good news, you can learn to control it, it will take practice, but you can block it all out, or project to other people. Show me Ichigo... let me feel your pain, and in return, feel my heart, take strength from me."

Ichigo hesitated, trying to figure out how to do it. Then telepathy connected with his reiatsu, and with Byakuya's, and he was able to link their minds through their Reiatsu. And he gasped, wriggling deeper into Byakuya's grip.

There was nothing else but him and Byakuya and the water from the shower. His heart began to hammer, but not in an unpleasant way, instead he was aware of just how /deep/ Byakuya's feelings for him were. His body was suffused with warmth, but there was a sad edge to it as well, as he remembered what it had been like when Hisana was ill, and something in Ichigo hurt that he was reminding his koi of past agonies.

Byakuya stumbled for only a moment, he could feel on a controlled level what Ichigo was feeling, the sense of intrusion, and then Ichigo's actual emotions hit him like a tidal wave. The sense of violation from the dream, was a dull ache on the surface of his mind that was slowly fading, but would take a few days. The confusion, as he started to realize that his mother and father /both/ would have to have known about ghosts, spirits, hollows and shinigami. Then the pain, the horrible, /pain/ and intrusion from the telepathy. "ichigooooo..." Byakuya crooned. "oh my Ichigo."

"Hold onto me, don't let me go... I feel like I'm going to go crazy!" Ichigo pleaded.

"Ichigo..." Byakuya closed his eyes, "I want you to focus just on me, just on my mind." And he projected all his warmth, all his love, all the passion that he felt for Ichigo into his mind.

Ichigo moaned, "B... Byakuya, ease off just a tad okay?" The contact diminished just a bit, but he felt an equally warm, loving response. The arms around Byakuya's shoulders tightened, he felt Ichigo starting to go hard against his thigh. Ichigo was panting, and it wasn't all to do with the shower.

Synchronized by the link between their minds, Ichigo leaned back against the wall of the shower, and Byakuya leaned in to kiss him, slow, steamy, passionate. Their tongues twined, and Ichigo moaned again into Byakuya's mouth. "I'll go gentle..." Byakuya husked.

"no, be normal." Ichigo groaned. "I don't think I can contain myself, I want you... /badly./ Your mind, in mine, it turned me on faster than the fever did." Byakuya chuckled, kissing his way down Ichigo's neck, down his chest. His fingers twisted Ichigo's nipples, causing the substitute to moan and arch his head back.

And then Byakuya pressed his head to Ichigo's abdomen, feeling the life growing there, and the blush that came over Ichigo's features was so... cute... Byakuya kissed his stomach, before taking his cock in his mouth and sucking it into his mouth, burying his nose in the orange curls of his pubic hair. Ichigo rocked back against the shower walls, digging his fingers into Byakuya's hair, trying to balance himself as the noble worked an absolutely sinful tongue over his cock.

Byakuya felt around with one hand until he found the soap, using it to slicken his fingers before pressing his first two into Ichigo's entrance. "Put the dream out of your mind, just focus on me..."

Ichigo relaxed into the touch. "B... Byakuya... oh my god I..." Then Byakuya started stroking his prostate, and words were lost to Ichigo's mouth.

When Byakuya felt Ichigo's lust, sheer unadulterated hormonal and telepathically driven lust roaring down their link, pulling his hand back. "This is gonna be a little difficult, I'll support your body." Ichigo blushed again.

Pressing his back against the wall, Byakuya looped Ichigo's arms tighter around his neck before lifting him off the ground, lifting his legs to either side of his hips, and carefully, gingerly, pressing the other down onto his cock.

Ichigo moaned, wrapping his legs around Byakuya's hips. This wasn't a position he'd tried before, and he pressed his head against Byakuya's chest, holding on tightly as the noble began to thrust into him. He started to thrust back. "Hold still if you can, I'll lose my balance." Byakuya panted, struggling to talk and keep his balance. "Ooooooooh, Ichigo..." Then Byakuya heard it in his mind. **No matter how many times we do this, my body always responds like its the first time. He's like a flame, and i'm the moth drawn to it. Its incredible, my body is just... alive... **

**I want him to feel that way every time, his body is so naturally tight, every time, and there's... something in there... a warmth, a fire, a passion that brought light to my life. Ichigo Kurosaki, don't /ever/ leave me. **Ichigo heard Byakuya's voice in his head. There was a surge, as their minds filled with the same warmth and love and it was this that brought Ichigo over the edge, screaming Byakuya's name in pleasure.

He felt Byakuya spill into him, filling Ichigo with his seed.

Ichigo probably shouldn't have screamed, because at that moment the shower turned cold and he heard footsteps running down the hall. It was Hitsugaya, Shinji and Ginrei, on their way to make sure Ichigo was alright. When the bathroom door slammed open the two of them stumbled, falling out of the shower in a heap on the ground.

Ichigo realized he had an audience, and blushed, then he realized he'd landed on Byakuya. As their bodies broke apart, and Ichigo scrambled to turn off the shower and find his towel, it took him a few minutes to register what they were saying.

"Toushiro you might want to step out."

"Are you two alright?" Ginrei covered his eyes politely.

"Q... q... quite..." Ichigo stammered. "Byakuya, are you alright?"

"yes, I specifically turned us so that you would fall on me."

"..." Ginrei stepped out, listening to the conversation through the closed door.

"I have to protect my mate, you're carrying life love... you have to be more careful." Byakuya purred, bending down to press his head to Ichigo's stomach. "You've got a lot of growing to do in a short time. You're used to being the one doing the protecting, but now its time for you to let me be the protector."

"I'm not entirely ready to be the submissive wife Byakuya." Ichigo chuckled.

"I'm not asking you to, I'm asking you to trust me."

"I do..."

"Yes but you want to be in on everything, and you can't be now, you have to slow down and take it easy."

As they dried off, and dressed, Byakuya was stroking Ichigo's stomach, lavishing attention on him in a way he knew Ichigo liked to be touched.

When they exited, fully clothed the expressions on their faces, the affection they showed, brought a smile to Ginrei's face. "aaah me, young love, Ichigo I came to see if you were alright, and to apologize for the other clan elders hassling you earlier."

"Thank you, I'm... rather... I'm tired and I've..." Ichigo sighed, the pain coming back full force. "I'm not sure if I can explain to you what I'm feeling right now, Ginrei-jiisan, the telepathy is /painful/. My body, my skin are overly sensitive, my head is pounding. I'd probably be in much worse shape if Byakuya weren't so attentive. But my body is... extremely reactive... and... and what scares me is that Byakuya says its permanent, that I... inherited it from my mother... I can't get rid of it."

"Telepathy is a rare ability among shinigami, thats why the other Elders were so curious, its usually in the oldest shinigami bloodlines, and sometimes commoners but its rare no matter what family or background you look at." Ginrei replied. "and it is genetic, so there's a chance at least one of the children you're carrying, or sired, will have it." He wrinkled his nose a bit at the thought of Ichigo's "tryst" with Grimmjow, but when it came to children, a noble was expected to care for their halfbloods, and Ichigo would have to be able to do that for Grimmjow.

"Ginrei... my father is he..."

"He wanted to come, I told him to get some sleep and get the girls to school, however, after this we are preparing a place for you in the Kuchiki compound. We also need to work on arrangements for your wedding." He pointed out.

Ichigo blushed, just a huge blush from his hair to his neckline.

"it doesn't have to be now, but the tradition is that if one's children are concieved out of wedlock, that they should be born into it."

"Yeah, just, the... image that comes to mind is the western one, and I... I saw Lurichiyo's and I... I don't really want a crowd for that. I mean... is it possible to do a small ceremony? I just want my friends there, thats all. It would be embarassing, actually, getting up in front of a huge crowd like that."

"its not the tradition to do a small ceremony but I will try." Ginrei found it amusing that Ichigo, who was so confident on the battlefield, would only want a small wedding ceremony. "I'll leave you for now. Your father is... occupied... for a few days."

"Yeah I figured." Ichigo chuckled, remembering his father making out with Ryuken, and the look on Uryu's face. He sighed, pulling Byakuya into the hospital bed with him and snuggling against him tightly. "Byakuya, I'm gonna try to sleep again..."

"Alright, rest well."

* * *

Ginrei next made his way to the hospital room where Yamamoto was asleep. "My friend, you sure know how to jump out of a frying pan."

The old Commander opened one eye. "I do try to be cautious, what happened?"

"An arrancar snuck into the soul society, used these snake like curses, they attach to a target and hypnotize them into attacking their surroundings. Wasn't your fault." Ginrei shut the door behind him and knelt by his bedside. "you will have the Kuchiki's support in this, an arrancar /sneaks/ into the Seireitei? He could have gotten into /anywhere!/ The Omnikitsudo is looking into what he did."

"Who was affected?"

"You, Unohana, Kira-fukutaichou, Hitsugaya-taichou, and Ichigo Kurosaki. However, while the psychological wounds are healable, only Ichigo has taken permanent damage. The snake, coupled with an overuse of the curse breaking technique, triggered a latent telepathic ability, and he's having difficulty coping."

"Twelfth division manufactures a special telepathic shielding material, you place it around a room and it keeps outside telepathy in, however, the downside is you cannot send from within areas protected by it. I know someone who can teach Kurosaki how to protect himself."

"Well you'd better do it quickly, poor boy, he's clinging to Byakuya like he seems to be clinging to sanity at the moment. It was devastating to him I think."

"When it becomes active, some shinigami can't deal with telepathy, and the result is very powerful depression. But training and antidepressants should help."

"Most of which he can't take because of the babies." Ginrei pointed out, hesitantly reaching out and resting his head on the old man's shoulder. "You've done your duty two thousand years over Yama, your descendants thrive, are you sure you still want to remain hidden?" he asked quietly.

"My choice." Yamamoto said quietly, looping an arm around Ginrei's shoulders. "Are you sure you don't want Byakuya to know where he gets his preference from?"

"My choice. We're both too old to be doing that kind of thing anyway. Though some company in your old age might be a good idea. I'm going to see if I can find you a pet at least. A dog maybe?"

Yamamoto let out a soft chuckle, and the wear and tear of two thousand years of life and the recent damage were reflected in his eyes. "You always knew how to make me laugh. Ah well, two old men with skeletons in their closets."

"I'm just glad my Byakuya will be able to live the life I couldn't." Ginrei chuckled. "You know before he found Hitsugaya, and his exile, Shinji was quite interested."

"The heart knows what it wants. Shinji just didn't know what his heart was telling him." Yamamoto sighed. "I'm just too old to leave the closet Ginrei, you on the other hand have station to maintain. I've lived in it all my life, and while I've occasionally peeked through a crack in its door, I've never gone outside."

"heh, lucky boy." Ginrei stood. "i'll ask Mayuri about that shielding for Ichigo. Ooooooh, its moments like these that make me think about coming out of retirement."

"you'd have to retake the captain's examination." Chuckled Yamamoto.

"no thank you..." Ginrei left with slightly more spring in his step.

* * *

"SHUHEI..." Izuru begged, the headboard slammed against the hospital room wall. "Shuheiiiii I want it please just hurry up!"

Shuhei ground his cock between Izuru's asscheeks, dragging it up and down slowly. "not yet..." He purred into the back of Izuru's neck. "I want to do this right..."

Izuru shuddered. "oh my god... Shu I'm gonna cum... NOW SHUHEI!" Izuru begged, clutching the pillows, about ready to cry in frustration. Shuhei was kissing his way delicately down Izuru's back. Izuru felt something hot and wet at his entry as Shuhei pressed his tongue inside. He screamed in pleasure, gripping the bed in a white knuckle grip and again the headboard hit the wall. "Shuhei I'm not /kidding!/" Shuhei was tonging Izuru's entry, thrusting the hot muscle in and out. Then a finger wound its way inside with the tongue, thrusting into the second entry.

Poor Izuru couldn't take it anymore, he came, hard, almost explosively, screaming Shuhei's name at the top of his lungs. Shuhei moaned, turning his koi over so that he could face him and looking right into Izuru's eyes, started to lick up his cum where it had been smeared on his stomach. "I'm going to give you the absolute /best/ sex of your life." Shuhei purred, sucking Izuru's cock in and out, in and out. "And I haven't even gotten inside you yet."

"oh my... /god./" Izuru moaned, "Just DO IT Shuhei!"

"A master, never rushes a masterpiece." Shuhei reached up to kiss Izuru, and Izuru by now was so turned on he almost fainted when he tasted his essence on Shuhei's tongue before going back down between his legs and lavishing every crevasse. Izuru threw his head back, thrashing back and forth. "Look at me Izuru, watch me make love to you."

Izuru's head snapped back down, watching riveted as Shuhei bobbed up and down on his cock before licking his way down the underside and sucking Izuru's balls into his mouth.

"SHUHEI JUST FUCK ME!"

"Beg."

"..."

"Beg Izuru."

"I've been DOING THAT FUCK IT!"

"Such a dirty mouth, beg /sexily/!"

"I HAVE BEEN IDIOT!"

Shuhei nipped the foreskin delicately, "i mean, /quietly./"

"Shuhei... please..." Izuru moaned. "I'm ready to go, put a baby inside of me... knock me up..."

"thats better. But if you keep screaming like that, you might want to have a pillow to bite." Shuhei flipped Izuru over, pressing his head into his entrance, moving /inch/ by agonizing /inch./ And just when Izuru couldn't take the wait, he turned and darted into the second entry, pressing his cock directly into Izuru's womb.

Izuru bit the pillow, muffling his screams, he came a second time, and a few thrusts later a third. It was taking all of Shuhei's strength to keep from cumming immediately. Izuru was /writhing/ around him. The rise in body heat, the pressure created by his repeated orgasms, it was /maddening./

Izuru /groaned/. The lust was not going to recede until Shuhei came /inside/ him! "I want your cum Shuhei! Fill meeeeeee!"

Shuhei groaned, growling softly and giving Izuru a little lovebite on the shoulder before he came, his release rocketing into his koi. "Izuru... ooooh my Izuru."

* * *

Outside Momo was all but salivating at the sounds she heard. The thought of the /things/ they were doing to make that baby had her face blushing and her nether regions hot.

_So join them. _Tobiume suggested irreverently.

Momo's face turned purple. "nnn... n... can't!" She whispered.

_So find yourself someone to join. You need to get laid. _

_But enough of the officers are pregnant!_

_I never suggested it was with a man. There's plenty of eligible females... why don't you ask Rangiku? _

_WHATTTT? _

_oh come on, she's hooooott...equal ranked, she's perfect, much more so than her kitty sword. _

_Y... you really think I... _blush.

_I know you Master. Go on, try Rangiku, you won't go back to a mere /man./_

"Alright alright, I'll talk to her." Momo turned, flash step carrying her away from the hospital. She found Rangiku sprawled out on a couch in her office, "Rangiku...?"

Rangiku snored, pretending to sleep.

Momo leaned in and kissed Rangiku delicately on the lips. "I want to talk to you."

Rangiku jerked awake, "Momo... what the heck did you kiss me for?"

"I... I wanted to..." she blushed. "I... I was just wondering what it was like to kiss a woman and... er... Rangiku? Would you go out with me?"

Rangiku giggled, pulling Momo down into her arms. "of course." Momo found herself face first in Rangiku's chest, and hands squeezing her own breasts making her blush and squeak in surprise before snuggling deeper into the touch. "hey rangiku?"

"Yeah?"

"I was listening to Shuhei and Izuru while they were..." * huge blush * "fevered..."

"oh dear lord, did Izuru scream?"

"Oh yeah, you could hear him all the way down the hall."

"Oh my /god/ Momo you have a perverted side!"

That was when Hitsugaya opened the door, and found Momo face down in Rangiku's chest and Rangiku's hands squeezing Momo's breasts. He turned red, then purple. "MATSUMOTOOOOOO! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS! WHY ARE YOU CORRUPTING MY SISTER?"

Momo sat bolt upright, mortified. "T... T... Toushiro!"

"Hitsugaya taichou to you. Matsumoto what are you doing TOUCHING my sister!"

"B... but... Toushirroooooo! I TOUCHED HER FIRST!" Momo turned from red from hairline to neckline to purple. "errrr... that just... sounded WRONG!"

"WHAT, are you doing?" Hitsugaya demanded.

"I CAME to ask her out! TOUSHIRO YOURE SO MEAN!" Momo shrilled. "I can't have a sex life? Is that it? Just because you're my brother, AND a captain doesn't mean you can control who's BREASTS I decide to shove my face in! You have NO right to try and control my sex life, especially when I came by your office the other day to find you /fucking/ your vizard boytoy!"

Hitsugaya's lips curled in an angry snarl. But Momo strode over to Rangiku, climbed back on the couch with her, and shoved her face defiantly back between Rangiku's breasts. "Now where were we?"

"Shiro, settle down." Shinji had been helping with the paperwork. "Your sister can date who she wants to. Momo, however, you shouldn't do it when Rangiku is supposed to be working. You want to cavort, do it in private and after work hours." He growled. "Which reminds me Shiro, koibito, remember Unohana relieved you of duty for fourty eight hours. You wanted to do that thing, we can do it without Izuru."

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Someplace more comfortable Toushirou, do not do it in your office."

"my quarters." Hitsugaya agreed. His expression was grave and... frightened? Momo couldn't figure it out, just watched as his expression darkened and he took Shinji's hand, leaning against him for strength.

Hitsugaya turned on some of the lights in his quarters. "A long time ago Momo, Gin... hurt me very badly. In ways that I'm not even sure you can understand." He said quietly. "I need to show you, and Rangiku I am /trusting/ you not to brute this about or react... embarrassingly."

"I can tell this is important to you taichou, so no, I will not."

Hitsugaya turned his back so that when he did so it wouldn't show anything more private, carefully removing his haori and kimono, before slipping the edge of his hakama to about knee level. When Momo looked carefully, there were scars all over Hitsugaya's rear end, from his lower back to his thighs. "T... t... Toushiro... Gin did this?" Momo had tears in her eyes. "I... I don't understand..."

"Momo, your brother was in a relationship with Gin, who abused him. Enough that he had a very /twisted/ idea of what sex should feel like." Shinji purred, "Toushirou get dressed, your sister is very likely going to want to hug you."

Momo sat there, stunned, tears on the edge of your eyes. "He... he beat you? Oh Shirou." Momo started to cry. "Why didn't you tell me?" As soon as Hitsugaya had his pants back on, Momo ran over and threw her arms around him. "You could have told your sister... I may be lower ranked than you but we're still family! You must feel so scared, being pregnant after what Gin did!"

"Taichou... I'm so sorry, all the times I pressured you about sex and getting laid... I..."

"There's no need to apologize Matsumoto." Toushirou said quietly. "Because I knew you didn't understand what you were doing. Momo, Gin hurt someone else you know, but that someone was unable to be here. He agreed to tell you, but he'll do it separately okay?" Hitsugaya told her.

Momo nodded, hiccuping slightly, clinging to Hitsugaya's side, "T... Toushiro I... I'm sorry." She giggled nervously. "Heh, now I really /do/ have an excuse to hate Gin! Got nothing to do with Aizen's hypnosis this time!" Hitsugaya carefully pulled Momo away from him.

"I'll be fine... I'm starting to heal from what he did I just need time Momo... but I..." Pause. "Shinji wanted me to start confronting what had happened."

"of /course!/ When something like this happens, you /have/ to do that in order to move on!" Momo was still sniffling slightly, and she walked over to Rangiku and hugged her.

"We'll leave you alone now Taichou..." Rangiku said quietly. "I... I'm sorry... was there... anything I could have done to protect you?"

"No Rangiku, none, if you had tried to confront Gin about it, he likely would have hurt you in some way too."

"B..." she sighed as she prepared to leave. "You think you know someone... though I'm sure Hisagi and Komamura-taichou felt the same way about Tousen." They left, she had Momo on one arm, clinging to her for some comfort.

"yeah..." Hitsugaya said quietly as they left. "This whole thing with Aizen is one big exercise in 'You never know someone.'"


End file.
